


Earthen Search

by Sousuke_Tenki



Series: Elemental Fury Saga [2]
Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Drama & Romance, Elemental Magic, F/M, Romance, Suspense
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-13
Updated: 2016-10-17
Packaged: 2018-05-13 18:14:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 76,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5712211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sousuke_Tenki/pseuds/Sousuke_Tenki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>We pick up moments after the end of Prophecies and Allies with Asmund and Razor flying out to find the next Elemental Fury and Soothers.  They run into something unexpected on their journey and need to gain the aid of Toothless and Hiccup shortly after their departure.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own the “How to Train Your Dragon” Movie, Animated Series or Book series. Those characters belong to DreamWorks Animation and Cressida Cowell. My original characters are mine and if you wish to use him please ask me first.
> 
> Also I will be updating this story every two weeks on Wednesday mornings.
> 
> New Night Fury name pronunciations and meaning:
> 
> Sigurd - See- Grr- De - From the Old Norse name Sigurðr, which was derived from the elements sigr "victory" and varðr "guardian". Sigurd was the hero of the Norse legend the 'Volsungasaga', which tells how his foster-father Regin sent him to recover a hoard of gold guarded by the dragon Fafnir. After slaying the dragon Sigurd tasted some of its blood, enabling him to understand the language of birds. By listening to the birds Sigurd learned that Regin was planning to betray him. The stories of the German hero Siegfried were in part based on him.
> 
> Njörðr - Ne- Your- Ga - From the Old Norse Njörðr, which was possibly derived from the Indo-European root *ner meaning "strong, vigourous". Njord was the Norse god of sailing and fertility. In some myths he is the father of Freyr and Freya.
> 
> Hjálmarr - Hel- mar - From the Old Norse name Hjálmarr meaning "helmeted warrior" from the element hjalmr "helmet" combined with arr "warrior".
> 
> Ívarr - IE- vawr - From the Old Norse name Ívarr, which was derived from the elements yr "yew, bow" and arr "warrior". During the Middle Ages it was brought to Britain by Scandinavian settlers and invaders, and it was adopted in Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

__Words typed like this are thoughts in their head  
Words like this are scenes/locations where it is occurring  
**Words typed like this is Dragonese**

Earthen Search – Prologue

Hidden Night Fury Colony 

Three Night Furies, a group consisting of two males and one female, moved through a cave system inside an island. **“I hate being on patrol duty. Why are we are pulling a double, Sigurd?”** one of the males asked, annoyed at the situation. 

**“You know why Hjálmarr. You caused problems last week during one of the patrols and Ívarr ordered us to go out on patrol for another week as punishment,”** Sigurd angrily answered his friend.

Larger than most common Night Furies and second in command under the colony Alpha, Ívarr, Sigurd never lacked in authority whether by his strength or merit. With that, however, he could never tolerate petty complaints or issues the island residents brought to him. If they wanted his sympathy, then it had to be either life threatening or something not even he could fix. Despite his attitude though, a dragon could never find a more loyal companion than him once they gained his respect. It was why the other two silently allowed him to become the leader of their small group consisting of Hjálmarr, Njörðr, and himself.

Hjálmarr’s build was a bit smaller than Sigurd’s and he lacked the self-control to curb his hot flashes of extreme temper. When he hatched from his egg, there was probably a bit of puzzlement when they saw how the scales on his head were colored differently than the rest of his body in what resembled the helmets human warriors wore. It didn’t take long for everyone to make that connection and thus he was named accordingly. As he grew, he seemed to take that name to heart for he possessed a hot headed nature which pitted him into fights against colony members and other dragons in the wild. The scars decorating his body spoke of those battles and even if he lost, he still showed those marks proudly. Sigurd constantly chastised him for causing such fights, mostly because it was always him who would have to deal with the complaints from the opposing dragons. He often threatened that he would cease helping Hjálmarr the next time he found trouble. Anytime that opportunity presented itself though, Sigurd defended his smaller friend and willingly faced the lecture from his superiors for Hjálmarr, only to snap at him worse once the two were alone. Despite their quarrels however, the pair were best friends and would do anything to ensure the other’s safety.

Annoyed with his friend’s response, Hjálmarr growled and snapped back, “ **Well sorry if my methods are not up to par with what Ívarr wants. Don’t know why it matters though, I did my job.”**

**“Yes, you did and you also completely screwed up,”** Sigurd countered. “ **As usual, you have nothing to blame for this situation than your own hot-shot attitude. Why is it hard for you to stop and _think_ before doing something so half-baked?”**

**“As usual you place all the blame on me. Like none of you never wanted to show off like that either. I could practically see your wings twitching to go down there and show those bugs something to fear.”**

**“That ‘wing twitching’ was me trying not to rip off your head and throw it into the nearest hole and leave. Quit making up signs you know for sure are not there.”**

**“Please, you really think you could have stopped me.”** Hjálmarr stopped their pace and turned to face the larger dragon, the challenge clear in his eyes.

Sigurd stood to his full height and scoffed. “ **Do you really think I’ll succumb to your hatchling antics? We both know I could throw you down with both of my wings and three legs tied up.”**

**“What? You scared I’m gonna-”**

**“Will both of you just shut up,”** Njörðr interrupted loudly, slamming her tail fins across both of their faces. “ **Let’s just get this over with so we can get back inside and relax.”**

Completing the group was Njörðr, Sigurd’s mate and the most level headed of the trio. Whenever the males found themselves butting heads and refusing to relent to the other’s suggestions, she would calmly provide a completely different and way more practical solution to their dilemmas. They sometimes went against that advice, and paid the price when it was revealed that her suggestions were always the best way to go, a fact she had no restrictions against rubbing in their faces. Normally they would get mad at being belittled in that manner, but her insults cut so sharply that they had no hope of defending themselves. 

Hjálmarr definitely received a great earful after the incident that instigated their added patrol. On their last patrol, they saw humans in the forest a few miles from the nest. They lacked the deadly weapons they usually carried when dragon hunting and seemed to just admire the scenery. Hjálmarr, however, felt they needed a lesson in fear, especially against creatures as powerful and deadly as Night Furies. Njörðr thought he was being recklessly foolish and had told him so in plain, harsh terms. Had he listened to her then, not only would they have avoided the extra patrol, but the colony also wouldn’t have been found out.

Needless to say, none of the colony residents were at all pleased with Hjálmarr at the moment.

Sigurd looked at his mate after getting hit and smirked a bit, one ear plate sticking up and the other pressed against his head. She offered him a glare for that, but it softly melted into a smirk as well, leaving Hjálmarr to roll his eyes at the pair. Tension averted, the three continued walking until they arrived to their destination: the cave system opening that led inside their colony. Covering the entryway was a large boulder, but it was easily pushed aside as they exited and replaced after they were through the exit.

**“Alright Njörðr, you watch the seas for dragons and humans. Hjálmarr, you watch the skies for dragons that maybe flying by. I’ll watch the islands for humans.  Remember, don’t engage until we find out what kind of dragon they are and leave humans alone,”** Sigurd stated, turning and giving his friend a stern look. **“That goes triple for you. Unless you want to deal with Ívarr yourself, curb your brashness.”**  

**“Fine, I won’t scare any humans, but I can’t say the same for dragons,”** Hjálmarr stated. His response earned him another tail slap from Njörðr, this time across his wings.  He grunted at the pain, but brushed it off, managing to keep a sharp barb from exiting his mouth.

The three took off and kept to gliding, not wanting to make too much noise during the daytime. Staying close to each other, they patrolled around the nearby islands, but kept their distance from the southeastern region. 

In that direction resided a creature that not even Hjálmarr with all of his temper wanted to face: the Elemental Fury of Earth. The Earth Fury’s birth was very chaotic and it had forced the colony’s elders to flee from their original homes. All was well one moment and the next, their entire home was being destroyed and numerous dragons did not escape the Elemental’s path of chaos. The survivors had fled as soon as they could, regretfully leaving behind loved ones, and started a new colony in seclusion, far away from the Earth Fury’s territory. Of the old colony, only Ívarr and a few others survived both the retreat and the founding of their new home. All of the Night Furies in the new colony were raised with this story, Elemental Furies dominating their nightmares and instilling fear at the destruction they could cause.

Rumors and tales did circulate that an Elemental Fury could be calmed with a specific thing, a Soother being its official title. Whether that was true or not and if other Elemental Furies possessed their Soother, though, mattered little to the dragons who were still haunted by that day and would never be able to trust such a being again. Normally the younger generation would pass those concerns off, but even from a distance, they could sense the immense power that resided in such an unstable being. For all of their protections, Ívarr ordered that any Elemental Fury spotted should be considered extremely dangerous and killed on sight and, if possible for the defender’s safety, from a distance.

Those thoughts racing through their minds, the three started off their morning towards the eastern most boundaries. By mid-day, they had moved around towards the northern and western areas, nothing unusual crossing their paths. As they headed another way Hjálmarr noticed a dragon flying in the distance, nearing an island northwest of the colony, but couldn’t make out its details very well.  He took in the scent of air and immediately noticed something strange yet familiar about the dragon: it almost smelled like a Night Fury.

**“Hey Sigurd, I think we have another Night Fury coming into the territory from above,”** he cautiously reported to his friend. Sigurd turned his eyes upward and caught sight the dragon’s figure flying above and northwest of them.  He took in the scent that blew in from that direction and nodded to his friend. 

**“It is another Night Fury, though it’s very strange one. It definitely smells like a Night Fury, but… it’s red in color.”** Sure enough, the Night Fury figure was definitely red, not black, in coloring. Adding to the confusion at the observation, Sigurd added, “ **I also smell a human as well.  Let’s investigate this dragon quickly and scare them off if necessary.”** Hjálmarr and Njörðr nodded in agreement with Sigurd’s plan and they flew toward the weird source.

Without words, all three thought about what Ívarr had said about the Earth Fury and the other Elemental Furies. In his tales, the dragon’s color would change significantly when it was reborn, often times representing the element they represented. When the hatchlings came of age, Ívarr described the Earth Fury has having a green hue over most of its body, with brown and grey tones around the wings and its underside. If this creature was a Night Fury, then its coloring only pointed to one conclusion: another Elemental Fury was near their territory.

While the other two tried their best to reign in their uneasiness, Hjálmarr quickly found himself becoming enraged and protective. Although he knew he should approach an Elemental Fury with extreme caution, his blood was boiling too much to keep his hot temper in check. Not saying a word, he changed directions and flew upwards towards the unknown dragon, firing off three shots at it once he sighted his target. 

The intruder managed to dodge the blasts but only just barely. They looked up and when they saw what had attacked them, they flew past Hjálmarr toward one of the islands. Still blind with battle lust, the dragon followed them, his whole body tensed up and ready for battle.

Njörðr and Sigurd screamed at him to try and stop him from following the pair, but they knew it would be a hopeless cause. Knowing their friend would not stand a chance by himself, the mates followed after them with one question flowing between both of their minds. _What had we gotten ourselves into?_


	2. Night Fury Attack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiccup and Toothless begin to plan for the battle that is coming and Razor and Asmund go out to find the next Soothers and Elemental Fury. Except trouble befalls Razor and Asmund when they get attacked by a group of Night Furies.

_Words typed like this are thoughts in their head  
_ Words like this are scenes/locations where it is occurring  
 **Words typed like this is Dragonese  
** __ **Words typed like this are the Mental Link between Razor and Toothless**

* * *

 

Berk

After Razor and Åsmund departed, Hiccup and Toothless presided over their respective halves of the village and delegated out the duties that needed to be done for the day. During the previous week, much of the rebuilding had been finished and all that needed attention were the daily routines and duties that kept the village running and the dragons happy. Once both the human and dragon leader were finished, they met one another outside the great hall.

"I take it everything is under control on your side? **"** Hiccup asked, noticing his companion staring out toward the sea.

Toothless responded with a stiff nod and gave his neck a quick twist, but hissed when the muscle quickly tensed up instead of loosen. The two agreed to stick to gestures and their old ways of communication as Åsmund didn't reveal that Hiccup could understand Toothless or Razor to the village. They communicated through their link while at home with Valka, Cloudjumper, and Astrid, but they couldn't help but fall back on their old ways out in public. Stubbornness was a diehard Viking trait that Hiccup would never lose.

Hiccup frowned at the dragon's discomfort, feeling his own limbs stiffening from the stress of the previous few days. He knew a way to fix that, though.

"Come on bud, we're going for a flight," Hiccup said, flashing his friend a playful smirk. Toothless rolled his eyes but nodded at his request, smiling as the human swung onto his back and they bolted up into the air.

Jorgenson Household

After completing a lap around the island, Toothless's stressed body now comfortably stretched out and Hiccup feeling a million times lighter, the pair landed outside Hiccup's cousin's house. Commands already in mind, Hiccup knocked on the door and tried to appear as chiefly as he could.

He has slowly gotten along better with this part of his family and knew they respected him, but a part of him still constantly worried about messing something up. It was most likely the feeling that had developed when he was a lanky teenager. A boy born into a family whose reputation spanned generations and could only ruin everything he touched. Sometimes Hiccup wonders how he managed to remain the heir when everyone seemed to prefer Snotlout over him. Maybe the village didn't say so probably out of respect to… to Stoick.

Hiccup shook the thought of his father out of his hand as the door open. Snotlout took a moment to see who it was and when it clicked that it was Hiccup, he smiled and greeted, "Hiccup, nice to see you."

"You too, Snotlout. Is your father here? I really need to discuss something with him."

"Oh, yeah," Snotlout answered, moving further into the house and extending an arm inside. "Just come in. He just sat down, but he'll help you with anything you need."

Nodding at the invitation, Hiccup cast a quick glance to Toothless and stepped inside. Like most of the homes, the main room wasn't too decorated. A few family weapons hanging on the walls and common ones were thrown into a wooden container in the corner. On one side of the room was another chest and right across that was the main table. As Snotlout had said, Spitelout was sitting there now and when he saw who was entering, he offered a small nod in greeting.

"Spitelout, I need a word with you," Hiccup started.

"What is it chief?" Spitelout asked, having not received a private visit from the new chief before.

"I have concerns about what may happen at this final battle. I want you to start getting the shipbuilders to complete as many vessels as possible in case we'll need an evacuation. If we don't need them, then we will just use them as fishing or trading vessels, but I want to be ready just in case Berk needs to be evacuated," Hiccup announced. "In this battle, we are dealing with very powerful gods, some who wish to bring Ragnarök upon the world. If we are going to help with this fight, I can't allow Berk to be left unprepared in case everything goes horribly wrong. Those that can't fight need to be safe first and foremost."

Spitelout nodded in response to young chief's wisdom and turned to Snotlout, saying, "Go down to the docks and belay the Chief's orders. If anyone asks any questions, send for me." Snotlout let out a small 'yes sir' and left the two alone. Once they were completely alone, Spitelout asked, "May I speak frankly, Chief Hiccup?"

"You know I don't mind when you do… uncle." Trying to hide his uneasiness, Hiccup added. "You were my father's second-in-command. I'll take whatever advice or concerns you offer."

Face softening for a moment, Spitelout started, "Hiccup, I know our family carries a strong image and you have not always displayed that, but you are chief now so I will respect you as such. I may have butted heads with Stoick on occasion, but that was mainly due to familiarity. Obviously, the two of us don't share that type of relationship so it would make no sense for me to act like it. Whatever I offer to you, nephew, remember that you hold the final say in what happens."

Holding back a relieved sigh, Hiccup stated, "Thank you for your thoughts and advice. Now, what is it you wish to discuss?"

Spitelout's expression immediately tightened as he asked, "I know you wish to prepare for the worst, but have you considered every possible scenario? We know for sure Loki and Hel will be involved, so definitely expect a range of tricks from them. I wonder though, who else could they have fighting for their side?"

"I understand what you mean by wondering who are enemies are, but I am also not sure who our allies are either," Hiccup admitted, thinking over the older man's questions. "We definitely have Åsmund and Razor along with the other Elemental Furies they encountered. Admittedly, I'm definitely worried about our futures."

"Who is 'we' though? This battle will either take place in a small area or span far across the Archipelago. Consider this: If we come across something that endangers the villagers' lives and you must choose between them and the world, what will you do?"

For several moments, silence hung over their heads as Spitelout waited for his nephew's answer. Finally, Hiccup looked at Spitelout with a stern look, declaring, "'A chief protects his own'. If we can't fight or if we will be in danger, then we'll leave. I would hate having to choose between those two options, but I must keep my people safe. If that means we will have to retreat and risk the full battle coming to us, then I and I am sure many others will gladly keep fighting until our very last breaths."

Thanking Spitelout for his support, Hiccup rose up and headed towards the door to take his leave. Once the piece of wood was shut, Spitelout couldn't help the smile that stretched across his face, a very rare action from him. ' _He's really grown up since he changed the Viking way of life,'_ Spitelout thought, turning his head up and looked to the ceiling as if speaking up to Valhalla. "Brother, you should proud of the man your son is growing up to be," he softly said, hoping that Stoick was looking down and beaming with pride.

Outside, Hiccup swung onto Toothless and the two took off, heading towards Dragon's Island. "Alright bud, let's start planning some strategies for this battle that Åsmund, Razor, the other Elemental Furies and you will be a part of," Hiccup said as he looked out at the island in the distance.

" **Agreed. I'd rather be prepared, if possible,** **and even** **if** **they are** **stronger** **than the** **Red Death,** **they'll still have a weakness. Hopefully, we can find out what it is in time to use it against them** **,"** Toothless commented to his other half as they flew quickly to the island.

"Toothless," Hiccup started after a while of silence. "If this battle grows out of our hands, we may have to make some tough decisions." Beneath him, the boy could feel Toothless tense up. "I just want you to know… I will never stop fighting and if there ever comes a moment where I must choose between dire two options, I'll do whatever it takes to make sure everyone is safe."

The dragon didn't reply for several long moments, understanding the full weight his human was going through. **"And know this, Hiccup… I will do the exact same."**

' _Especially for you_ , _Elise, I'm going to protect you and I'm going to prepare for this fight so we can be together afterwards,'_ Toothless thought.

"I know you will, bud, and just so you know, I will not allow you to choose between Razor and I. With everything that has happened with you two, both of you deserve a chance to finish what you started long before we ever met. Do not bother trying to persuade me either. I've had a great life so now it's your turn."With those final words, a heavy weight settled on them but they pushed it to the back of their thoughts for now.

They still had time to prepare and whatever happens during the battle will not happen without a fight. As it was, they each knew their burdens and if they stayed together, then at least nothing could overpower them.

With these thoughts in mind, they drew closer to the island where war was waged from for 300 years and where peace had begun: Dragon's Island.

Nearly half a day's flight South of Berk

Åsmund stared forward, looking at the landscape ahead of him and took in the many different islands that they were approaching. Razor scanned the area below her and noticed three specs in the distance to her left. Figuring they were dragons, she didn't think anything of it until she caught one of the specs turn and start speeding towards them. Her eyes widened as she saw three bright flashes come from that spec and immediately knew what the dragon species were.

" **Åsmund, hold on tight!"** she screamed before quickly spinning and diving to the right, barely avoiding three plasma blasts. Åsmund heard the blasts fly by and held onto the saddle as best he could as Razor dove down and away from the attackers. _Shit, Night Furies and apparently, they don't want to deal with intruders,_ she thought. When she looked back, the first lone spec was still moving closer to them and the other two followed a good ways behind it.

The lone spec's, Hjálmarr's, pupils constricted down to slits as he flew as fast as he could to catch up to this Elemental Fury. He was not going to let this beast invade their territory and force the colony to migrate again, and he was prepared to sacrifice his life to achieve that. He fired two more shots in front of the diving Elemental Fury, hearing his friends screaming at him to stop. The screams fell on deaf ears, however, as he solely focused on trying to kill the intruder ahead of him.

Razor maneuvered around, dodging all of the shots sent her way. Her extended spinal fins greatly assisted her in dodging the blast with blessed ease and also kept Åsmund out of danger as well. Åsmund pressed himself closer to Razor's body, helping to reduce any drag she may suffer from him, and kept his eyes forward as he trusted her to fly them out of danger.

Sigurd and Njörðr finally joined up with Hjálmarr, confirming with their eyes what the intruder was, and quickly joined in on the attack. Together, the trio fired several series of blasts at the moving target and tried to predict what its next move might be.

As the sea grew closer in front of Razor and Åsmund, more shots fired around them, hitting the water with enough force and power that it immediately steamed up into mist. Tapping into some of her Elemental powers, Razor boasted her speed and tried her best to stay in control while making sure Åsmund stayed safe.

During their bombardment, Sigurd noticed a brown area around the Elemental Fury's midsection and its unique color arranged in a muddled pattern close to it. Inspecting the area more closely, he realized the brown area was a human wearing a strange coat with both that color and the Elemental Fury's scales. His slight confusion at the pair quickly changed to fury.

While the Earth Elemental Fury was the cause of his colony's elders having to leave their old home, the humans they encountered constantly sought to eliminate them. They could deal with that if the humans did not constantly take things one horrible step farther. There have been numerous times they would ambush hatchlings that were studying the area around the colony caves, and didn't hesitate to crush any eggs they came across. A human riding an Elemental Fury could not only mean chaos, but total disaster for their colony's safety. That, or the poor creature had been taken by the Elemental Fury against its will. Either way though, the pair represented nothing but trouble.

" **Be careful!"** Sigurd warned. **"The Elemental has a human with them. Stay alert! Who knows what sort of partnership they have worked out!"**

Njörðr nodded at her mate's warning, but his words only served to rouse Hjálmarr's already fierce battle lust. Not to any of their shock, Hjálmarr put forth a burst of speed that left the other two struggling to stay stable. Trying their best to catch up, they prayed Hjálmarr was strong enough to fight the Elemental Fury until they arrived to help.

Meanwhile, Razor continued trying to locate safety and found it from an island near their location. **"Åsmund, get ready to jump off me once I land. I** **will** **need to deal with these three quickly** **if we want to stay alive** **,"** she quickly said she continued speeding towards the island. The other Night Fury's blast, the other two apparently not being able to keep up with their companion, continued firing at them. A few shots were way to close for either of their comforts.

With sharp eyes, Razor gauged the island and let out a small, relived sigh when she saw a clearing in close distance. Thanks to her extra speed, the lone Night Fury had gradually fallen behind, allowing her some time to prepare herself for when it would catch up with them. She was not out of their firing range, but at least she would not have to worry so much about Åsmund's safety. She unfurled her wings and let out a wince of pain when a plasma blast, which neither saw coming, smashed in the middle of her tail. Adjusting quickly, Razor managed to continue their decent, albeit with great pain shooting up and down her body.

With the shock and pain overwhelming her body, she could feel her mental link carry those emotions and alert Toothless back at Dragon's Island. In her heart, she found herself hoping he could come to her aid.

Dragon's Island

Hiccup and Toothless spent most of the morning and early part of mid-day mapping the terrain around the island and discussing plans of attack for future battles. During their current discussion about good escape routes, Toothless suddenly cringed, closing his eyes while pressing his earplates flat against his head, lowering his head to the ground.

"What's wrong, bud?" Hiccup asked, concern clearly evident in his voice.

Head still pressed to the ground, his best friend slowly began to growl. **"Razor is under attack by…"** he started softly, waiting for the rest of the information to pour in. Once it did, his head snapped up and his eyes popped opened. **"Night Furies! Hiccup we need to get back to Berk and go help her."**

At first, Hiccup was too shocked with what Toothless said to understand what was happening. _'_ _Night Furies? They found a Night Fury colony? We never saw anything_ _from_ _that direction in any of the flights we took while mapping.'_

" **Hiccup!"** Toothless screamed, knocking Hiccup out of his daze. Knowing an apology would waste time, he quickly bounded onto the saddle and they flew back towards Berk. Toothless desperately wanted to tell Razor he was coming, so she would know help was on its way, but he knew that if he said something with their mental link, it might break her concentration.

During their rushed flight back home, Toothless felt the Night Furies attacking her and grew furious that someone was attacking his mate. Far exceeding his current flight speed at the moment, many thoughts crashed throughout his mind. The main one, however, elicited both a pang of guilt and resolve. ' _I knew we should have gone with them._ _Why did I let her talk me out of going? No, I can't focus on that right now._ _That's in the past_ _and I_ _need_ _to focus on getting to her in time. Oh, Razor… please stay strong until I get there_ _.'_

Island West of Night Fury Colony

Razor skirted across the tops of the trees on the island and continuing flying as they approached the clearing. **"Get ready Åsmund,"** she said, concern clearly evident in her voice. She dove down to the far side of the clearing and landed, albeit less smooth than she wished due to the pain still pulsing in her tail. Åsmund jumped off quickly, pulling out and expanding his collapsible Fury Steel pole with his good hand, and braced himself while Razor spun around and moved to the center of the clearing. She shot a single fire plasma blast at the Night Fury coming at her and readied herself into a pouncing position, wings extended out from her body.

Hjálmarr roared loudly as he dodged the attack and swooped down to attack the Elemental Fury. Razor smirked, curled her wings against her body, and with her power providing an extra boost, pounced forward at an incredible speed. She cleared the ground distance between her and her flying attacker in the blink of an eye and leapt into the air.

In mid-attack, Hjálmarr froze in shock at the sudden movement, disbelieve clear across his face. Never had he seen a Night Fury, not even Sigurd, move so quickly before. During this moment, Hjálmarr didn't notice the Elemental Fury's attack until he felt something bite his back leg and drag him out of the air.

Keeping her teeth retracted to prevent severely injuring the Fury, Razor tightened her closed her jaws around the Fury's right rear leg and jerked him out of the air, slamming him onto the ground.

Hjálmarr gave out a loud grunting roar when his head slammed into the ground, seeing flecks of black in his vision.

Razor spat out the Night Fury's leg and moved around to his head as he tried to adjust himself. Before he had a chance though, she lifted a paw into the air and whacked down hard onto the attacker's head, making sure her claws don't injury him.

The impact immediately stunned Hjálmarr and with a gaze focused on the Elemental Fury, his eyes widened for a second before slowly closing. ' _Sigurd, Njörðr… I'm sorry. Please… protect the colony_.' Letting out a small groan, Hjálmarr's consciousness faded completely as darkness took over his mind.

Making sure the Night Fury was neutralized, Razor carefully moved away and only allowed herself a second to make sure Åsmund was alright before getting back into an offensive position. ' _One down, two to go. Let's hope that these two aren't as crazy as this one,'_ she thought.

Behind her, Åsmund readied himself as well, but she could sense his apprehension about fighting the rest as well. _Stay strong, my friend. This isn't over yet._

Finally catching up to the scene, both Sigurd and Njörðr let out worried gasp when they found their friend unconscious and the Elemental Fury staring up at them. " **What do you think it did to** **Hjálmarr?"** Njörðr asked worriedly.

Sigurd didn't answer, his sharp eyes blazing to the intruders below them. No matter how much the two of them fought with each other, nothing hurt his best friend without facing his wrath. **"It doesn't matter. That Elemental Fury is dangerous and we cannot let it reach the colony, especially with that human.** "

Understanding her mate's change in tone, Njörðr didn't say anything and prepared herself for whatever strategy he had in mind. The pair altered their direction slightly so that when they landed, several meters separated them from the intruders. Judging by their friend's defeat, a head on attack was out of the question and the human still remained a wild card. If they wanted to teach the Elemental a lesson and keep their scales intact, they needed a plan that would work.

After going over their options, the two looked at each other and nodded. Quietly, the two separated and began circling around on either side of Razor.

From the middle of the clearing, Razor heard the other Night Furies land close enough to attack her, but far enough that she couldn't see what they were planning. She and Åsmund remained still for several tense seconds, both of them trying to predict the other pair's move. Finally, Razor picked up the faint sound of movement breaking off in two separate directions.

It took all she had not to pounce to the sound right then, instincts yelling at her to 'protect' while her mind screamed 'attack.' ' _Who_ _is more of a threat, and would the other go after Åsmund?'_ she thought quickly. With limited options, she decided to try reasoning with them.

" **I don't know your reasons for attacking, but I'm not here for trouble,"** Razor announced loudly, making a show of backing away from the downed Fury and inching towards Åsmund. She kept her ear plates flat against her skull and upper body lowered, ready to attack, but continued speaking. **"Leave my rider and I alone and we'll leave in peace."**

From her spot to the red Fury's right, Njörðr shook her head in shock. ' _The Elemental Fury spoke to us, but they aren't supposed to_ _speak_ _. They are supposed to be nothing but rage. Why_ _is_ _she protecting a human? Why is she even offering us a chance to end this without violence?_ '

On the other side of where Njörðr stood, Sigurd was also in shock, but he quickly shook his head and remembered that his friend was lying unconscious at the mercy of a feared dragon. Scanning the area, he finally focused his vision on the human taking defense in the back of the clearing. ' _I'll take care of the human first so we can focus on this Elemental Fury. It seems important to the Elemental Fury_ _, so I'll give it a taste of what it's like to lose something precious_ _.'_

With both Hjálmarr and the colony elders in his mind, Sigurd's mouth opened and he fired a quick blast at the two legged creature.

Razor took notice of the confusion on the Night Fury to her right and charged at it, hearing a shot released from her other side aimed at Åsmund. She knew Åsmund could dodge it, but worry still compelled her to slow her movements to make sure her human was not overly harmed.

Åsmund smirked as he noticed the shot and the Night Fury who fired it. His training with Razor had kicked in and, thankfully due to the distance, he was easily able to dodge the attack. He vaulted away with his pole and got down in a low stance with the pole behind his back while Razor continued heading toward the other Night Fury.

"I'm fine Razor. Just end this quickly so we can continue on!" He screamed out as he charged to the Night Fury that had shot at him. From the corner of her eye, Razor caught the dragon prepare itself for a charge as well. She noticed the male displayed a claim mark, but that only reminded her of Toothless and her urge to protect.

Razor's eyes constricted down to slits, the two becoming even more like enemies due to their attacks against Åsmund. **"This is for trying to harm my human and best friend. I'll take down your other companion here,"** she roared, deciding to charge at the still confused Fury with her boosted speed.

Razor's senses indicated that her target was a female Night Fury, and was claimed when she noticed the claim mark on the target's body. Her nostrils flared and she slowed her charge when she smelt something special from the Fury.

It took her less than a second to realize the scent was the result of the female Night Fury nurturing an egg inside of her, and ready to be laid judging by the strong smell. Razor immediately stopped charging and let her eyes dilate back to their normal size. If the other female was confused before, it was nowhere near to the look Razor was receiving now. The Elemental Fury, however, did not really care about what the other thought about her in that moment. Razor was not going to be a hatching killer again and when she realized the female's claim mark matched the male behind her, a sudden flash of anger coursed through her body.

Turning fully around to the two males still charging at each other, Razor roared, **"You let your mate out here when she has an egg ready to be laid! You are more of a fool than I thought you were!"** Her outburst instantly froze the other pair. **"I will not fight** **some dragon with** **an unborn hatching."**

Njörðr blinked several times and tilted her head in thought. In front of them, Sigurd suddenly let out a humorless laugh, **"Trying to fool us with nonsense Elemental Fury? You would use any trick to stop us wouldn't you** **? My mate is not carrying and how low of you to make such a lie like that in order to halt our attacks. Even if you're not a** _ **true**_ **dragon, at least fight like one."** To emphasize his point, Sigurd spread his wings out as far as they would go and crouched low to the ground, releasing a soft growl.

Razor, slightly annoyed with the other's statement, just sat down and turned away from the male to look at the female. **"I know what I smell and I refuse to do anything against you and your mate."**

Njörðr continuing staring at the Elemental Fury in shock and noticed the shoulder of the Elemental Fury. ' _A claim mark, and it is recent.'_ Njörðr thought, taking a few steps toward the other dragon. 'S _he isn't like what we've been told.'_

Behind them, Sigurd's eyes widened in slight fear at seeing his mate so near a dragon so dangerous. Åsmund, still watching the other dragon, carefully moved towards Razor and hoped that everything was starting to settle down. In a blink, Åsmund saw a black blur pass by him and he instantly raced toward Razor, who still refused to move. Before anything could happen though, the other female Fury spread out her own wings and separated her mate from the vision of the Elemental Fury.

Njörðr stood up against Sigurd's confused gaze, his body shaking as it tried to keep the anger toward the perceived threat from attacking his mate. When she was sure the other was listening, she stated, **"Stop this Sigurd. I don't think she is like how we've been taught. She has been claimed recent** **ly, two nights ago at the most judging by the mark still scabbing on her shoulder** **. She is not like the other one so please, stand down."** The last statement barked out more as an order and Sigurd found himself numbly complying. With gentle blue eyes, she continued, **"She is right though. I found out just before patrol that I do have your eggs in me. I was waiting until after patrol to tell you the news."**

Sigurd could only stare down at Njörðr, his wings retracting back against his body and his posture lowering until they were eye to eye. When her eyes remained firm, he could no longer keep the shock from displaying across his face. Although the idea of a _civil_ Elemental Fury was difficult to wrap his mind around, the news that he was going to be a father was almost impossible to grasp. If he wasn't in the midst of strangers and Hjálmarr still wasn't unconscious, Sigurd might have actually fainted from shock.

Hoping to finally calm everybody down, Åsmund pleaded, "Would you please listen to your mate Sigurd? We are…"

Instantly, Njörðr and Sigurd snapped their focus at the human and said together in confusion and shock, **"You can understand us!?"**


	3. Path Revealed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asmund and Razor explain their situation and reveal their path to the Night Furies that just attacked them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: I do not own the “How to Train Your Dragon” Movies, Animated Series or Book series. Those characters belong to DreamWorks Animation and Cressida Cowell. My original characters are mine and if you wish to use him please ask me first. I only own the plot of the story.

_Words typed like this are thoughts in their head  
_ Words like this are scenes/locations where it is occurring  
**Words typed like this is Dragonese  
_Words typed like this are the Mental Link between Razor and Toothless_**

**Path Revealed**

Island west of Night Fury Colony

Åsmund sighed as he spoke out, forgetting that the other Night Furies would not know he could understand Dragonese. “Yes I can and before you ask, and I have explain our long tale again: Razor here,” he pointed to the still planted dragon, who gave them a greeting nod, “gifted me with the knowledge and I learned more after spending two years with a Sea King and Queen.” 

As the human stopped to recollect himself, Sigurd and Njörðr noticed his armor was decorated in objects the same hue as the Elemental Fury’s. It took them a second more to realize the objects were the dragon’s scales worked into the fabric. “Razor,” he started, refocusing the Night Furies’ attentions. “Is the Elemental Fury of Fire and I am Åsmund, her best friend, other half and most importantly, her Soother.”

Confusion graced their expressions as the duo heard the last part and turned to each other with the same thoughts. _A Soother? A calmed Elemental Fury? How is this possible?_

Turning his focus away from the pair, Åsmund took a glance over at the Night Fury that Razor took care of first and then went back to the other two.  “Check on your friend and keep him from attacking us please.  I’d like to explain everything at one time if possible,” he complained, their new expression revealing they had almost forgotten their friend in the commotion. Åsmund pushed his pole weapon against the ground with enough force to collapse it back into its travel form. Beside him, Razor rose from her spot and stretched her head over to him, feeling some tension leave her body as Åsmund slowly stroked her chin.

Sigurd was about to say something, most likely a sharp threat and several accusations, when Njörðr shook her head at him and gently pushed against his chest. **“Come on, let’s check on Hjálmarr and see if he’s okay,”** she insisted calmly.

Razor added on with a pointed comment, **“He’s not dead, if that’s what you are fearing; I just knocked him out so I wouldn’t have a three versus one situation.”**  

At this, Sigurd quickly turned and glared back at Razor, snarling, **“I don’t trust you.”**   Razor lowered her head and then turned around from him.  **“I’ll show you my back the entire time. That enough trust for you?”**  

Sigurd’s sneer faded away as the Elemental Fury did just that, quietly displaying submission to him. He then gazed down at the human who repeated the action.  ‘ _Exposing their backs like this to me, someone who just attacked them? Why?’_ Keeping his gaze focused at them, he spoke softly to his mate, **“I don’t like this, but at the same time, this Elemental Fury is acting different from what our elders and stories say.”**

Njörðr simply nodded and moved over to their friend and, true to Razor’s words, found no major injury from her attack on him. There were some small scratches scattered down his body, more in line with being unexpectedly knocked to the ground, but no fresh bite or claw marks he hadn’t already earned.  She put her paw in front of his snout and felt more at ease as warm air softly emitted from the opening.

She looked back towards Razor, her human, Åsmund, and Sigurd, steeling her voice as she asked loudly, **“Why only subdue?  Why not kill?”**

Taking a moment to reflect on the questions, her body unconsciously assumed the offensive position she took against the downed dragon. **“I’ve killed enough, remembering some clearly and others not at all. I don’t want to take any more lives unless I really need to. I’m not ever going back to who I was before I met Åsmund,”** Razor answered calmly, immediately realizing what she had done by Njörðr’s almost hidden fear directed towards her. She lowered herself back on the ground, giving up even more advantage, and waited for the other female to say something.

Njörðr let out a small smiling, sensing the truth the Elemental Fury’s words. From the tension the other possessed when describing her life _before_ and the conviction in her voice at the last statement, it was obvious the Elemen-… No, Razor truly had her sanity and compassion ruling her mind, not blind rage.

_‘Ívarr never believed the legends about Elemental Furies being calmed… but right here in front of us, I see one that is calmed,’_ she thought before speaking to her mate again.  **“Sigurd, come over here and look for yourself, I’ll keep an eye on them. Though, I have a feeling I don’t need to watch them. We have nothing to fear from either her or Åsmund.”**  

The male gave her a pointed look, but quickly wiped it away when she flashed him her own look and placed his trust in Njörðr’s judgement. Sigurd didn’t like the situation, but even he had to admit that everything this Elemental Fury was showing were signs of intelligence and consciousness, not blind rage. He had seen that coming even close to the Elemental Fury’s territory resulted in intense blasts that left dragons grounded for several moon weeks, if they were lucky enough to escape and dodge in time.  Here though, he saw one that ran away, only fought once her human was safe, subdued his friend Hjálmarr without killing him and halted her attack on his mate once she found out Njörðr had eggs in her. 

Sigurd came up to his friend and, used to seeing Hjálmarr out of commission in this fashion, knocked his paw against Hjálmarr head and roared loudly near his head. Hjálmarr screamed at the rude awakening and franticly moved his head around until he noticed his two friends staring down at him.  **“What the Hel was that for, Sigurd! I was having a good dream. Wait, why was I dreaming in the middle of the day?”**  

Njörðr quickly smacked him across the face with her paw at his stupidity. **“I know you aren’t the brightest dragon on this side of the world, but really? Did Razor’s attack knock that much sense out of you?”** she chastised angrily, standing by Sigurd and blocking the other’s view of the Elemental Fury. 

**“Who is Razor?”** He asked before it dawned on him what happened, **“Wait, the Elemental Fury has a name?  Why would it…”**   He was interrupted when Sigurd leapt up and pinned him back down onto the ground. 

**“Listen you reckless, hot-tempered, idiotic hatchling-”**

**“Hatchling? Seriously, is that the best you can do right now?”**

**“Something has occurred to us about this Elemental Fury. Well, really Njörðr discovered it, but that’s beside the point,”** he kept his pressure on his friend to keep him from moving as he continued explaining. **“She refused to fight after finding out about something that I didn’t even know, protects her human rider, and the rider understands our speech. I still do not entirely understand what is happening but Njörðr does and for now, that means we keep an open mind. Did you catch all of that, hot-head?”**  

Hjálmarr slowly blinked and looked at his two friends like they just announced their Alpha was capable of telling the greatest jokes and that cod actually comes from the sky. Peeking through the small opening of their legs, he saw the Elemental Fury laying down, not doing anything, with a human next to it, who was petting its head.  ‘ _Okay, I must either be dead or having a really weird dream because this can’t be real at all,_ Hjálmarr thought. He looked up at his ‘friend’ who still had him pinned and stated, **“I don’t believe this is real. My friends, I’ll admit, are smarter than me and if even _I_ know how idiotic it is to trust an Elemental Fury, then no way in Helheim would they honestly believe that either. I bet all of this is just a final glimpse of my time here before I fly off to the sky above the clouds and, somehow, the Elemental’s attempts to gain my last sympathies. So Sigurd, if that is who you really are, tell me something that only you and I know.”**  

Rolling his eyes but smirking widely at his friend’s rambling chatter, Sigurd leaned down and softly whispered something into Hjálmarr’s ear. The pinned dragon gave him another suspicious look, but evidently decided his test was enough to prove everything was real.  **“Okay, you pass, now let me up.  I won’t attack, but I still don’t like this.”**

Sigurd complied with Hjálmarr’s soft demand. As the smaller dragon picked himself up, Sigurd curiously stated, **“You know, it’s possible the Elemental Fury might have read your mind and transported that information to me in order to prove everything was ‘real’ to you.”**

At this, Hjálmarr cocked his head in thought, thinking over the other’s words. Finally though, he replied, **“True. So to really make sure I know this is real, tell me something I know of but not the full details of like Sigurd would.”**

**“What would you want to know? Where I hid your favorite rock? My secret trick that knocked you out when we play fought that one time? Maybe how I foiled your attempts to play that trick on the elders? Ah, here’s a guarantee: Remember that one time you were about to scare a group of Terrible Terrors but tripped at the last minute and ended up getting attacked by them instead?”**

**“Yes?”**

**“It was I who tripped you.”**

**“What?!”**

**“I couldn’t help myself. You looked so busy actually making an effort to plan a strategy I had to try and spoil it.”**

**“You Sigurd are a no good, thrice da-“**

**“Finish that sentence Hjálmarr and I will knock you out again myself and throw your body back to those Terrors,”** Njörðr quietly, but firmly, interrupted.

As the two Night Furies were waking up their friend, Razor tried to get a hold of Toothless through their link. **_“Tokka, can you hear me?”_**

**_“Yes, I can and I’m coming to help.  I felt you get attacked by the Night Furies while Hiccup and I were on Dragon’s Island,”_** he answered her, sending an image of him and Hiccup arriving at Berk, his rider explaining they would be gone for a couple of days and appointing Valka and Astrid in charge while they were gone. 

**_“Listen Tokka, we aren’t fighting anymore and it seems things are being peaceful, but please do hurry. I don’t know if it will last.  We are about half a day’s flight out to the south of Berk.  I’ll shoot out some blasts around the time the Sun is about to set so you can find me,”_** she explained as she slowly stood up. **_“I need to go Tokka, the first Fury I took down is now awake and I have a feeling it’s going to take a while to explain everything.”_**

_**“Alright, I’ll be there as fast as I can. I love you Elise, and please be careful,”**_ he concluded. Disconnecting the link, Razor turned and looked at the three Night Furies and starting in a commanding tone, **“I know you have a ton of questions right now, but don’t worry I’ll explain everything you need and want to know. Right now, I’ll be the one speaking.”** Taking a deep breath, Razor addressed the three Night Furies with, “ **Yes, I am an Elemental Fury, the one of Fire. My name is Razor, a name given to me by my human, my best friend, and my other half, Åsmund.  He soothed me 8 years ago and I have been with him ever since.”**

The three Night Furies flashed her inquisitive looks, but they remained silent as they listened to the tale. **“I gifted him with the knowledge of the nature of most dragons, types of dragons, and the understanding of our language. We are on a quest to find and sooth the other Elemental Furies to prepare for a foretold battle that will occur relatively soon.  That is all the basics for now, so can we start asking from there?”**  

The three Night Furies looked at the odd sight in front of them, each other, and the males directed their focus on the female in their group. Njörðr seemed to have already known how that was to play out so she asked, **“Okay, what do you mean ‘find the other Elemental Furies and sooth them?’”** Remembering what the colony had be taught by Ívarr, she added for clarification, **“We’ve always been told that an Elemental Fury only knows rage and destruction for all their lives, so this is a bit much even for us.  On a personal word however, thank you for not attacking me when you found out I was with eggs. I would have felt awful if I died without telling Sigurd he was going to be a father.”**

**“Sig, you’re going to be a father?! Good job!”** Hjálmarr immediately asked, a bit of amusement at the end of his voice. **“But it’s outside of mating season, so you know Ívarr won’t like that. Oh boy, and here I thought you were by the books, being second in command and all.”** His comments earned him a smack by his two friends, a wing from each of them against both of his sides. Despite the reprimand he still flashed his friends a sly look, steeling his face when he looked back to the intruding pair.    

**“Back to what I was saying, you’re the only other Elemental Fury we have ever engaged with, and the first who hasn’t killed any of us yet. Who is to say this isn’t just a fluke or maybe your human is using some type of magic to control you?”** Njörðr asked pointedly to both Razor and Åsmund. 

The flyer of the pair looked to the other, who merely shrugged at Njörðr’s questioning and gestured for Razor to explain as he started undoing the binding on his armor. **“I understand your concern with all of this, but I’ve met another Elemental Fury that is like me whose Soother was his mate, another Night Fury,”** Razor answered, looking at Åsmund as he continued taking his armor off. **“Åsmund here is also not a mage, well may be a little bit. He was taught some magic from the Queen and Sea King of the island we are from, but that’s all. I trust him with my life and he feels the same with me.”**

“You may not like the idea or even care about an Elemental Fury being soothed, but they can be.  All of them have a Soother out there, whether it be a creature or an object,” Åsmund started as he walked out in front of Razor and stroked her head between her eyes and snout. “I used to fear the stories about Razor, whom my village called a Fire Fury, because she _was_ blinded by intense rage and attacked anything in her territory. The day she appeared in front of me, however, she didn’t attack me and that fear disappeared.”

Åsmund happily recalled their meeting, “Her eyes went from pure yellow with no pupil to having some that day.  She and I became curious about each other and eventually friends that day.  We have been together ever since.” He looked at each of the Night Furies, who looked at each other with puzzled expressions and moved away to converse amongst themselves.

They conversed for several minutes and when the trio reached a conclusion, Sigurd stepped forward and stated firmly, **“If what you two say is true, then we might have some information that may help you. The Earth Fury is nearby, but he is not soothed at all and has been nothing but chaos since that day. Our Alpha is one of few survivors of its awakening, so he will not trust you in the slightest Razor. I still don’t fully believe you either, because I still feel like you are just saying these things to lower our guards’.”**  

Njörðr stepped beside her mate and added, **“However, we are willing to take a shot, but you must answer this for us in payment for our trust: How do you know where the Elemental Furies and these Soothers are located? And, how quickly can they be calmed?”**  

Hjálmarr also came forward and stood by his friends, but only stated, **“I’m not the smartest one here and I still do not trust you either, but I’ll follow their lead while I watch you both.”**  

Åsmund looked across all the faces of the Night Furies and nodded to himself before he looked to Razor, then back to them and replied to their questioning, “While we spent two years with the Queen and Sea King, they taught us both how to feel out where the Soothers and other Elemental Furies were located.  Since you’ve said there is an Elemental Fury in the direction we were heading, that confirms what Razor felt on our way here. I also sensed a Soother by the Fury, and another one that is close by to the East of here.” He finished and pointed, unknowingly, in the direction of the Night Fury colony.


	4. Crossroads Impasse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asmund and Razor decide to divide and conquer, but to win the favor of the Night Fury colony does one of our allies make a decision he will regret later on?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own the “How to Train Your Dragon” Movies, Animated Series or Book series. Those characters belong to DreamWorks Animation and Cressida Cowell. My original characters are mine and so is the plot and if you wish to use him please ask me first.

_Words typed like this are thoughts in their head  
_ Words like this are scenes/locations where it is occurring  
**Words typed like this is Dragonese  
_Words typed like this are the Mental Link between Razor and Toothless_**

Just outside of Berk to the South

No longer in communication with Razor, Toothless refocused his attention to his companion, who had patiently stayed silent as the pair continued their flight to assist the other pair. He relayed the information to Hiccup calmly, but there was an obvious tone of worry in his voice.

“So what do you want to do, bud? Do you think they’ll be fine or should keep going? Although, if you haven’t stopped by now, then it’s a safe guess that your decision has already been made,” Hiccup said as he hunched forward closer to Toothless. 

**“Yep, we’re still going. Even if Razor says they are giving them a chance to explain, I don’t trust these Night Furies.  Hopefully we’ll be there quickly since I doubt Razor was going at full speed with Åsmund.”**   Hiccup laid a comforting hand on Toothless’s head, knowing his companion’s worry wouldn’t cease until he saw Razor in the flesh, and hoping the action would remind him that he wasn’t alone. In response, Toothless added softly, **“Hiccup…Thank you, for everything. Without you… Razor and I might have never reunited.”**

The human didn’t respond to that statement. He simply stroked Toothless’s head before returning his hand back to the holding straps, but the dragon knew how much his words meant to Hiccup.

They kept going on in silence, flying so low and near the surface of the water that their speed caused a plume of water to jet up into the air at his tail and wings. _If there is even one scratch on her, those dragons better pray for mercy._ _When we get there, I’ll show these three Night Furies not to mess with my Elise,_ Toothless thought to himself as he continued shooting forward across the sea.

Island West of Night Fury Colony

Sigurd took note of the direction and instantly flared his nostrils, pupils constricting to slits and he harshly told Åsmund, his wings stretched out in a commanding position, **“You will not go in that direction unless Ívarr allows it. You and your Elemental Fury will have to deal with him before I even let you move an inch from here.”**   Åsmund and Razor noticed the tone and body language of Sigurd and knew that the direction he pointed out must be in the direction of the trio’s colony. 

Åsmund spoke first, feeling that Sigurd would not listen if Razor made their request, “Alright, we won’t do anything until we meet your Alpha Ívarr.  If our showing up will lead to the greeting we got from you three, I don’t think we’d survive.  For now, I will stay here and greet your Alpha while Razor goes and brings our friend and her mate to assist with explanations.” 

Razor immediately gave Åsmund a look of concern and wrapped her tail around his waist.  **“What do you think you’re doing?  I know you can handle yourself against me, but you’re injured right now. Also, why are you going to put yourself in front of a Night Fury colony Alpha?  Are you insane?”**  

Åsmund rubbed Razor’s tail soothingly and looked up at her. “Listen, we need them to trust us and if this Ívarr comes here and only sees you, I doubt he’d be willing to talk.  We need Toothless here along with Hiccup to show them that you are not what they think you are,” Åsmund explained as he moved closer to her and placed a kiss on her snout.  “Just trust me. I know what I’m doing and I’m not going anywhere. Let me get the saddle off you as well so you can fly faster.”

Razor still looked at him in extreme worry, but her expression displayed that she found his reasons sound, if not really risky. Knowing that would be the best plan right now, she nodded and unwound her tail from around him so he could remove the saddle. During their conversation, the three Night Furies watched them closely and couldn’t hold back a slight pang of fear when they saw the human undo the numerous ties and clips on the saddle, implying the pair would be apart for a time. They waited in tense silence as Åsmund removed the saddle, placing it carefully on the ground beside him, and started walking towards them.

“With your permission, Razor will fly back to bring over her mate and his rider. I will stay here and would like an audience with Ívarr. I will greet him as I am and if you fear I will use this opportunity to hurt him, keep in mind that I do have a broken wrist, putting me in a bit of a handicap,” Åsmund added, raising his left hand and tried to move it for them. “I just wish to speak with him, but am willing to do anything he wishes of me so that I can gain his trust.” 

His words, clear and confident, reached the three Night Furies’ ears as he bowed his head once he finished speaking. Sigurd looked at Njörðr and she nodded to him then turned back to Åsmund, stating, **“Alright, Hjálmarr and I will go back to the colony and request an audience with Ívarr. I believe you are foolish to stand up against a Night Fury, especially an Alpha Night Fury, but… you are also quite brave, for a human.”**   Åsmund smirked at the dragon’s double edged statement, knowing Sigurd was trying not to think about what happened earlier when the human had dodged the plasma blast. 

“I can handle myself very well, I mean I did train with an Elemental Fury, and that isn’t an easy feat I must say,” Åsmund replied smugly as he lowered himself onto the ground. “Truthfully though, it is an honor to meet, and battle, all of you and I hope that we can work together in the near future.”

Razor took that as her cue to leave and darted off into the sky, circling around once for observations, and flew towards Berk. **_”Tokka, I’m flying out to meet you. I’m going to use some of my power to speed up my flight and meet you.  Fire a blast into the air so I know where I need to head.”_**   Razor scanned the sky and when she caught sight of two shots flying through the air a great distance away, she adjusted her course.  She extended her extra spinal fins and tapped into her elemental powers to increase her speed and flew out to meet her mate.  ‘ _Åsmund, you better not do anything that is going to make me upset.  If you do, I’ll make sure that you won’t be leaving my saddle, save for sleep, if something happens to you,’_ she thought as she increased her speed to hurry her flight. 

Shortly after Razor left Hjálmarr and Sigurd gave Njörðr a questioning look, making sure she would feel comfortable staying with the human on her own. The female dragon responded by rolling her eyes and stated, “ **I’ll be fine. Just go and ask Ívarr to come and settle this.”**

Sigurd still gave her a worried look, but with a gentle shove from Hjálmarr he snapped out of his thoughts and gave her a final nod. In unison, the pair took off into the air and flew towards their colony. For a while, they drifted in silence until Hjálmarr finally asked what they were both thinking, **“Do you really think we can trust them?”**

His friend’s response was quick, pointed, and predictable. **“No.”**

Although so much had happened so quickly, and unfolding pleasantly so far, Åsmund still couldn’t help but feel a bit bored. Luckily it was mid-afternoon and the clouds were providing a decent distraction, but that could only be entertaining for so long. 

Njörðr was lying down a few feet away from Åsmund, watching him and feeling a bit bored herself. Finally, her curiosity finally got the better of her. **“You seem to have a lot on your mind. Tell me, Åsmund, there has to be more to this quest than just finding the other Elemental Furies and soothing them for a simple battle, isn’t there? Everything you mentioned so far just seems… mundane at this point,”** she asked inquisitively, cocking her head to the side.   

Åsmund remained quiet for moment, eventually turning himself around and locking his piercing eyes with hers. He laid himself down on his stomach and began. “The fight we are preparing for might be the last one before Ragnarök, and might actually be the fight that stops it. This battle will happen, whether if all the Elemental Furies are soothed or not. The fewer we have, the more difficult the battle will be, so having them all soothed will really work in our favor,” Åsmund finished, concern in his voice. He played with the grass before plucking a blade, pressing it tightly against to his lips and blowing into it, creating a whistle like noise.

Njörðr cocked her head to the other side as she watched Åsmund play with the grass and thought over his words. ‘ _Even I know that Ragnarök isn’t something to trifle with, but how does he know that it will occur?’_  She wondered, continuing to gaze at him with interest until he rolled onto his back and looked up into the sky.  She stood up from the ground and moved closer, laying herself within a foot of him.  Åsmund took notice of this and smiled as he sat up again and looked at her.

“Are you curious, too, about a human that is friendly with dragons?” he asked, his words soft and soothing. Njörðr gave him an unreadable look at his honest question, wanting to ask for a while now but not wanting to seem to curious.

**“You said ‘Dragons’ and not Razor or Elemental Furies? Explain that more. You mentioned meeting with a Sea King and Queen on your island, but you never said if you were friends with other dragons,”** Njörðr questioned, her interest once more peeked.  

Åsmund flicked the blade of grass away and watched it float in the air before the wind snatched it in its current and blew it away. He remained quiet for a moment and finally answered, “I wasn’t always like this, neither were my people.  We feared dragons, all of them, but it turned out to be a misunderstanding.  After I became friends with Razor, we saved my village twice from other humans that were attacking.  Between those attacks, we made peace with the dragons around my home, asking them not to go near our village until I had convinced them that dragons were not beasts, but intelligent creatures full of emotions. It took some time, but I eventually changed their views. Now on our island, humans and dragons live in peace together and we just found another island close by that is the same way.” 

Njörðr could hear in his voice how everything had changed for him, how all the events have affected him, and that his words were spoken in truth.  He raised his right hand towards the sky, looking at his still covered wrist guard and glove. “If there is anything I could show you to make you understand more it would be the mark that Razor left on my palm when she gave me my gift. Unfortunately with my left wrist injured, it would be difficult taking this part of the armor off.” 

**“What do you mean mark?”** She asked as she edged herself ever closer to him, curiosity no longer concealed.

Åsmund chuckled and then looked to see her sitting nearly right next to him. “When my friend Hiccup comes, I’ll show all of you what it is.  It looks like a curled up Night Fury that is burnt into my skin with a light red color in it.  It’s where she used her powers to give me the knowledge of the dragon language and most of the history about dragons as well.”  He sat up slowly and looked at her, “Njörðr, may I ask for the honor of touching you?  If you do not wish me to, I will not ask again.” 

She turned her head slightly and looked at into those eyes of his. Her mind was conflicted with his request, one part telling her to accept and the other part wanting her to decline. After a few second, she reached her decision and adjusted herself into a sitting position, answering, **“You may, but only my paw for now.  You, Åsmund, are a very curious human so different from the rest I have seen and encountered.  I know the others don’t trust you, but you’ve shown me more about Elemental Furies and humans in a short time than what we’ve been told for generations. The least I can do to repay you for this knowledge is follow your request, to an extent at this point.”**  

Åsmund nodded before he extended his left hand forward and touched Njörðr’s offered right paw in front of him. He gently brushed his limb along the dragon’s paw, the scales feeling smooth and delicate against his glove. The leather didn’t bind or catch her scales as he moved it along and around her paw, silently speaking highly of the health and care she put to herself. 

“They are so different from Toothless’s scales, and even more so from Razor’s.  You are only the second Night Fury I have touched, well third if you count Razor, but I can sense this is a great highlight for Night Furies to have such smooth and beautiful scales,” he complimented.

A weight of pride formed in her from his compliment, causing her mouth to morph into a small smile. _Maybe humans can change.  We have always been so scared of them, but it looks like a new era has started, for some humans at least…. I want to visit these places to see what they are like. If they are as safe as this boy paints them as, then I would never have to fear humans killing my hatchlings out of malice or fear,_ she thought, unknowingly starting to purr from Åsmund’s gentle touch.  **“Thank you Åsmund. You have shown that you are not some mage or sorcerer that wishes to control dragons.  You are a kind soul and all of yours and Razor’s actions have proven that.”**


	5. Fear Abound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ivarr learns about what has happened to his patrol and Asmund gives a gift to Njordr.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own the "How to Train Your Dragon" Movies, Animated Series or Book series. Those characters belong to DreamWorks Animation and Cressida Cowell. My original characters are mine and if you wish to use him please ask me first. I only own the plot.

_Words typed like this are thoughts in their head_  
Words like this are scenes/locations where it is occurring  
**Words typed like this is Dragonese**

**Fear Abound**

Two hours outside of Berk

Feeling the familiar link growing stronger, Razor knew she and Toothless were nearing each other. A high pitch sound with a trailing boom followed her as she rapidly closed the distance between them, covering the flight in about thirty minutes. Soon, she shut off her power and allowed herself to return to normal speeds as she drew very close to Toothless.

Stopping once she felt close enough to meet him and not fear passing over him, she hovered gently in the air and scanned around for her mate, letting out a small roar to announce where she was. A few seconds after her sound faded out, she heard his answering roar from down below.

Smiling, she caught sight of the familiar shape and, pressing her wings against her body, allowed gravity to bring her down beside Toothless and Hiccup. In a tight execution, she unfolded herself and couldn't stop a small laugh from escaping her at seeing her mate's startled reaction. The other quickly shook his head at her speedy arrival and antics, teasing, **"Trying to show off for me Razor? I mean come on; it hasn't been that long since we spoke through our link."**

Razor smiled to him, answering, **"** **You should know** **I can't keep myself out of trouble, so** **I** **had to** **meet you quickly to avoid that,** **my dear Toothless."**

" **You really think the two of us together will reduce the amount of trouble? Oh, Razor, you sure know how to make me laugh,"** Toothless answered back, earning a soft, suggestive glare from Razor.

Hiccup rolled his eyes at the pair's conversation, commenting, "Will you two love dragons stop with the flirting? I can hear you now, remember?" Toothless shook his head and lightly hit Hiccup with his ear flap, giving out a deep laugh as the human shook his head but stayed silent, smiling.

" **Hiccup is right though, Toothless. We need to get going.** **I'll guide you to the island. Åsmund is there** **right now** **with Njörðr, one of the three Night Furies that attacked** **us earlier,** **while the other two are going back and getting their colony Alpha so that Åsmund can speak with him,"** Razor explained to the two, flashing Toothless a silent look that promised they would talk more later.

Hiccup, ignoring the unspoken conversation, let his face morph to worry as he asked, "Is he insane? Please tell me he did not allow himself to be alone out there with four, suspicious Night Furies … No wait," Razor put a paw up to her mouth and chuckled. "He is insane enough to do that. Oh, gods, I swear all dragon riders are insane."

Although his last comment would have normally drawn a good laugh out of the dragons, they couldn't feign ignorance of the concern evident in Hiccup's voice. Reminded of the situation, Razor gestured in the area she flew from and took off, Toothless following close behind her.

Night Fury Colony

Ívarr was much larger than a normal Night Fury, nearly twice the size of average ones at thirty-five feet in length from snout to tail with a wing span easily spreading across sixty feet. Very rarely in his long life had he ever lost a challenge, and it was not uncommon for his opponents to surrender after only a few hits from his plasma blast or swipes from his large paws. More often though, the challenger would flee before one blow was even thrown, intimidated by his size alone. He has used that to his advantage in protecting his colony and establishing his dominance for years, and he expected he would continue to do so for more years to come.

For now though, he merely strolled around the central chamber, its ice roof providing soothing coolness, checking on the Night Fury families. Many had welcomed new hatchings nearly four months ago, and all of the young ones were growing well and strong. They would be the youngest ones until the next laying, expecting to happen no earlier than a year.

As he passed every dragon, they bowed their head low to show their respects to their leader. A few hatchlings gazed at him with slight fear, since he was so much bigger than them, but a majority just smiled after him. One or two brave ones even made a motion to walk over to him, but ultimately talked themselves out of it when they noticed the adult Night Furies keeping a respectable distance.

Content with everything, Ívarr gave a final look over before assuming a perch on the higher ledges. From up there, he could see not only the interior spaces, but also several entrances and exits. He was expecting the patrol group back soon and hoped that Hjálmarr didn't cause a commotion, again. Nearly an hour ago though, he had felt chill down his spine, indicating something might have happened with them. With luck, the disturbance was probably minor, but one could never truly tell with Hjálmarr. Ívarr often wondered if keeping such a brazen individual was best for the colony, but Sigurd's constant insistence that his best friend would one day grow out of it kept him from taking any action.

The large Night Fury's thoughts were interrupted by a commotion occurring at the entrance and stood steady as two Night Furies flew straight at him. He quickly recognized the troublemaker Hjálmarr immediately, so Njörðr and Sigurd were also… _Wait; only two of them_ _are flying toward_ _me. Where is the third?_ Ívarr thought as he sat down on his hind legs and waited for the two to get closer. The two landed in front of them and revealed to the Alpha that Njörðr was the noted absence. _Strange, Sigurd has never left her alone during patrols before._

Before his mind could come up with a suitable, positive explanation for Sigurd would never leave his mate in danger, Sigurdquickly addressed his alpha with, **"Ívarr, we need a word with you, in private. This can't be freely discussed here in the open, sir."**

Taking note of his commander's tense posture and tight tone, Ívarr gave a low huff in acknowledgment and flew around the large cavern, heading up towards his cave. The two others followed close behind him, the trio eventually landing in the Alpha's personal cave located above the common areas and nearly all the rooms.

Ívarrkept on his pawsas hedemanded, **"Report, Sigurd, and** **tell me** **where your mate is?"** Gazing at the pair, Ívarr noticed Hjálmarr softly trembling, confirming his unease that the quick tempered dragon had done something foolish once again.

" **Sir, while on patrol we went to scare off a Night Fury that came into the territory.** **We** **thought it was** **a simple loner at first, judging** **by** **its** **scent,"** Sigurd started, gauging Ívarr's reaction. No clear evidence of the Alpha's change presented so far, he continued. **"Hjálmarr quickly** **intercepted** **the dragon, shot at it, and-** **Please** **let me finish sir,"** Sigurd softly pleaded when Ívarr grunted at the dragon in question, his patience wearing thin, again. **"Hjálmarr had his reasons for doing so, and they are sound."**

Still giving the strangely marked dragon a sharp eye, Ívarr gestured for his commander to continue, and quickly. **"** **When he got close to the intruder, he discovered** **it was an Elemental Fury,"** Sigurd explained, seeing Ívarr's eyes rapidly dilate and then constrict into slits.

" **A WHAT!?"** Ívarr roared out, the sound echoing throughout the cave, the cavern and the the tunnel system under the island.

Sigurd and Hjálmarr cringed and cowered back slightly at the sudden roar of their Alpha, but Sigurd continued, **"It was an Elemental Fury,** **sir, with** **a human riding it."**

Ívarr slammed one of his paws onto the ground in anger, causing it to crack under his strength. **"So you're telling me that you attacked an Elemental Fury,** **along with a** **HUMAN! Is that why Njörðr is not here and most likely DEAD?!"** Ívarr's rage was growing more by the second as he slowly moved towards the two in front of him.

" **She's not dead sir, please let us explain,"** Hjálmarr spoke up, cowering back more but trying to raise his voice over the Alpha's growls. **"She's alive and currently with the human, sir."**

Ívarr looked over at him, casting them a long stare before calming down a little bit, smirking in pride at the mention of her still being alive and watching over the would be Elemental Fury and human invader. **"So you two took down an Elemental Fury and captured its rider. I'm impressed,** **though you could have said something a lot sooner."**

Both of them looked at each other and then to Ívarr, saying at the same time, **"Not exactly…"**

Island west of Night Fury Colony

Njörðr scratched at her ear and then snorted loudly. "Everything alright?" Åsmund asked as he sat up some while Njörðr looked in the direction of her colony. **"You ever get a feeling that you're** **being** **talked about or something bad is going to happen, Åsmund?"** Njörðr asked as she snorted again.

"Yea I do, and so do some other humans. Sometimes it is a ringing in your ear or just a sudden sneeze out of nowhere," Åsmund answered as he got up onto his feet and brushed dead grass off his clothes. "I can only guess by now that Ívarr has learned about what has happened and they are speaking about you in some way. So Njörðr, I might suggest that you don't be so friendly with me whenever they arrive. I don't want you being in trouble for being friendly with me."

Surprised at his statement, Njörðr rose to her paws and nudged him on his back with her head. **"I'm not going to just** **stop** **being friendly** **to save** **my own skin. The time I've** **spent** **talk** **ing** **with you here has been enlightening and I hope that you can open their minds as well,"** she insisted, certain that no matter what happened next, things would work out alright.

' _I really must have a gift or something that makes_ _dragons trust me_ _so easy. I bet Hiccup_ _has this same gift and ease_ _as well,'_ Åsmund thought and moved over to Njörðr's shoulder area.

"Bend down, please. I want to show you something about your species you probably don't know about," he lightly commanded. Njörðr gave him a small look but bent down next to him anyway, trusting him not to harm her. His right hand ghosted over her back to an area near her head, seeking out the nerve bundle that would release her spinal fins. Finding it, he warned, "This may hurt a little, but I promise I'm just helping you out. If you don't fully trust me with this though, just tell me and I'll stop."

Njörðr locked her eyes with his, her expression veiled by indifference. Her mind, however, turned over his offer and compared it with possible scenarios if she was wrong in her judgement to open up to him. Admittedly, he had been nothing but respectful and kind to her, but he was still a human and she had more than her share of interactions with his kind. Most of the time it was merely frightening them away from them colony or pushing Hjálmarr away from them, but there have been occasions where it was either kill or be killed. And she greatly valued her life and those of her colony, having went home with injuries of her own.

' _This one, though, he's definitely different. But… different is not always the same as good.'_ Closing her eyes, Njörðr inhaled deeply and prayed that her next action would not be her last. Upon opening her eyes, she looked at Åsmund and gave him a steady, firm nod.

Smiling softly at her acceptance, he pressed two fingers against the bundle, causing Njörðr to squirm in predicted discomfort. The sensation quickly passed though as fins extended out further along her spine, separating into movable twin spinal fins. Ceasing her squirming once they were all out, she turned her head around and gazed both curiously and apprehensively at the extra fins. She cautiously flapped them and nearly jumped up at the feeling of them moving dually along her body. **"What are these?"** she asked, perplexed at the sight before her.

"These are your main spinal fins, extended further out to assist you in making tighter corners and increase your turning rate. This is my gift to you, in case… something goes wrong with the meeting," he admitted, backing away and looking at her with a resigned but determined look. "And if something does, please tell Razor that I love her."

He spun around on his heels and walked into the middle of the clearing, away from his armor with only his pole in his hand as any sort of possible weapon or needed protection. ' _He's really ready to die for this quest of his. In fact, he doesn't fear_ _death_ _because he knows that he very well may die at any moment,'_ Njörðr thought, pulling her fins back into her spine and slowly moving towards the center of the clearing, waiting for what would soon come.

Night Fury Colony

Ívarr's pupils were constricted into the thinnest of slits as he looked at the two in front of him after hearing the rest of the report. **"So this human wants to speak with me,** **wanting** **to change my mind, and you left him there with YOUR MATE whom has YOUR EGGS in her, Sigurd!"** He stomped down again, harder, breaking more of the floor as he towered over the two cowering Night Furies.

" **Yes sir that is all he wants to do.** **Merely speak with** **you, without his Elemental Fury** **present,** **and persuade you to at least hear his side out** **,"** Sigurd answered weakly, looking at his alpha's eyes. They were brimming with intense rage, so strange from his normally watchful eyes when he was merely watching over the colony. All this at the simple mention of an Elemental Fury and a human. ' _Of course, Elementals have never been a pleasant thing for him to deal with,'_ Sigurd thought, mind flashing back to his survival at the claws of the Earth Elemental Fury. ' _And humans are not much better, either.'_

After several tense moments, Ívarr's expression blanked and he calmly walked between the two dragons, stopping right in the middle. In the next blink, he spread open his wings, slamming them both into the walls of the cave harshly. In a low voice, he muttered, **"Fools, all three of you. You have no idea what you might have just done."** He pressed his wings tighter against the two bodies, being mindful of not suffocating them, but wanting to get his message through. **"I've told you, as have the other elders have told you. Never. Trust. Elemental. Furies. Or. Humans."**

Just as quickly as his anger came, it vanished and he retracted his wings, causing both dragons to almost collapse on their paws as they took in deep breaths. Not looking at them, Ívarr ordered, **"Both of you, come with me. We are going to take care of this human, the Elemental Fury, and then I'll decide what I will do with the three of you. Especially you Sigurd,"** here he redirected all of his anger to the other large dragon. **"Your actions** **of putting** **this colony** **and your mate in danger** **will not go unpunished."**

Before either could say another word, the alpha charged out of the cave and dove down into the chamber, eliciting small cries of fear from his recent subjects. The adults and their hatchlings had not heard exactly what the issue was, but they knew by his tone and shouts that it was something grave. And the older members knew Ívarr only acted this way at the mention of Elemental Furies.

Ívarr did not pay any attention to this as he headed for the tunnel that led to a water exit, Hjálmarr and Sigurd trailing not too close, but close enough, behind him. The alpha zipped around the corner and the pair only caught the fading glimpse of his tail fin as it disappeared under the water. Taking deep breaths without slowing down, Sigurd and Hjálmarr dove down into the water and hoped that once this was over, Ívarr wouldn't turn that obvious rage fully on them.

Outside Night Fury Colony

Ívarr rocketed out of the water and slammed onto a small landing that jetted out from the island. He shook the water off his body and waited for the other two join him, which they did mere seconds after him. His eyes still burned with rage as he quickly took to the sky and, once gaining enough height, expelled an incredible roar that thundered out an announcement of his intentions to the other dragons in the area. 'Stay out of my way, or I will kill you.'

Not even waiting for the sound to dissipate completely, he flared his nostrils and shot off to where Åsmund and Njörðr were waiting.

Clearing

Njörðr heard the roar and couldn't help a wave of fear that burrowed down her spine at the tone. She had only heard that call few times in her life, and never had it ceased to frighten her to her core. While she cowered down a bit towards the ground, Åsmund remained standing tall, waiting for what will no doubt, be another challenging trial to overcome.

_'Razor, don't worry about me. I'll be fine_ ,' he thought to himself as he waited for this encounter. Desperately he hoped that was true because despite his outward appearance, he wanted nothing better to do than hide and pray the alpha did not find him. Never more has he wished for his friend's presence beside him.


	6. An Alpha's Fury Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ivarr makes his presence known to Asmund and Ivarr is determined to show this human that he is not welcomed here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own the “How to Train Your Dragon” Movies, Animated Series or Book series. Those characters belong to DreamWorks Animation and Cressida Cowell. My original characters are mine and if you wish to use him please ask me first. Only the plot belongs to me and any similar plots will be asked to be redone.

****_Words typed like this are thoughts in their head  
_ Words like this are scenes/locations where it is occurring  
**Words typed like this is Dragonese  
_Words typed like this are the Mental Link between Razor and Toothless_**

An Alpha’s Fury Part 1

An hour from arrival at Clearing

Razor, Toothless and Hiccup steadily sped up, trying to reach Åsmund as quick as possible. Suddenly, they heard a large roar in the direction they were heading, instantly aware that the sound meant nothing positive.  “Uh, that can’t be good can it you two?” Hiccup asked, a little worried as the roar slowly faded out. 

**“That is one angry Night Fury.”** Toothless commented, Razor adding, **“That must be the colony alpha and he doesn’t sound too happy. That was a territorial roar that he just put out so if we just heard it, then we must be in the colony’s territory.”**  

Toothless wondered if he should respond with a challenge, but Razor stopped him, advising, **_“Don’t challenge him, we aren’t here to challenge his territory.  We are just here to save Åsmund, get the Soother and move on.”_** Toothless nodded instead of replying back through their link. 

**“Let’s get going, we need to get there quickly.  No doubt Åsmund will be having a fight there soon,”** Razor stated and the two dragons pumped their wings harder, boosting their speed.

Clearing

Åsmund kept his eyes locked on the sky, waiting for signs of the three to show up after the incredible roar that he just heard.  He kept his collapsed pole in his grip tightly, keeping his breathing slow and steady as he stood ready.  Night Furies never missed and he needed to be on the lookout for a glint of light or the shrilling sound of a dive bomb so he could dodge quickly. 

Njörðr had moved a little bit away from him, hunching close to the ground in fear.  She had never heard Ívarr roar like that before and it sent a deep bout of fear throughout her body.  Her gaze moved over to Åsmund, curious about his reactions to her alpha.  She sniffed the air around him, but drew slightly back at the uncommon scent surrounding him.  The human before her emitted nothing but confidence and pride, no fear waving out at all. It seemed he knew something like this would happen, and he was ready for what would come. 

As she thought over the scent combination, he suddenly extended his pole to full size and dashed forward. She wondered what had happened and received her answer a couple seconds later as explosion smacked the spot he was just located at. Less than second after, she heard the shrill her kind produces when conducting a dive bomb and wondered how he heard or saw it coming before she even did.

The question was tucked in the back of her mind though when she caught sight of her alpha, mate, and friend flying into view. They scanned below and when they saw her standing to the side, adjusted their course so they could land right next to her. With the human’s back still facing them, Sigurd and Hjálmarr joined her side and cast a neutral look to their alpha. Ívarr’s mouth emitted small streams of smoke from the corners of his mouth, so it was not difficult for Njörðr to figure out who shot the recent blast at Åsmund.

Strangely, however, the knowledge left an ashy taste in her mouth. 

Åsmund turned as he watched the trio arrive and land near Njörðr.  Recognizing the two from earlier instantly, he focused on the one he didn’t and deduced that the third Night Fury was their alpha, Ívarr. He had expected the alpha would be a strong dragon, but he definitely wasn’t prepared for the sheer size this Night Fury possessed. His travels exposed to him that a dragon’s size could vary greatly, even among the same species, and this Night Fury was no exception. Admittedly, though, Åsmund hadn’t fully considered other skills an alpha such as this one could possess.

_‘He is very experienced. I did not even hear his attack until it was nearly too late. To be able to hide the sounds so well is indicative of someone that has gained lots of fighting experience,’_ Åsmund thought as he looked right into Ívarr’s silver eyes, his pupils shaped into thin slits. 

“Guess you aren’t much of a talker. You prefer actions to speak for what you want to do, don’t you?”  Åsmund gauged, watching the dragon prepare for another blast.  Åsmund noticed the other two over by Njörðr watching the battle, but kept his focus ahead on Ívarr, knowing he had to disable him quickly or risk serious injury.  As Ívarr leaned down in preparation to shoot, Åsmund steeled himself, waiting for the right moment to move. When that moment came, the man darted forward and kept his eyes focused on Ívarr’s body movements. 

Ívarr had planned to shoot the human directly so he aimed his first shot high, assuming the human wouldn’t have time to evade his attack. He allowed himself only a small beat of confusion when his shot missed, quickly readjusting himself and aiming another shot just ahead of the human’s path.   

In mid dart, Åsmund slammed his pole on the, luckily, hard ground and vaulted over the second shot, barely escaping with a mere graze. His landing found himself closer to Ívarr and he calculated the best way to hit a specific nerve bundle located under the Night Fury’s chin near the middle of his underjaw.  ‘ _Just need to hit that spot and he’ll be unable to use his plasma shots for a while. That will give me time to subdue him…’_ As he thought, he noticed Ívarr’s body turning in a fashion he recognized as an oncoming tail swipe.

He spun his pole in his right hand and planted it hard in the ground in front of him, using all of his momentum and strength to vault further out this time than his previous time.  He escaped into the air right as Ívarr’s tail swept under him and knocked the pole out from the loose grip Åsmund had on it. 

_‘It’s now or never, Åsmund. Don’t miss this nerve bundle.’_ He thought before he landed on his feet just under Ívarr. Without wasting a second, he quickly struck the middle of Ívarr’s underjaw and started to scratch at the back left side area near his jaw line, franticly seeking the knock out spot.

Ívarr roared at the first strike and tried to pull away when he felt the human’s hands along his jaw. He brought up his right front paw, claws extended and newly sharpened, and prepared to knock the man away from him. Before he could hit the human though, a sudden knot along his jawline simultaneously tied and loosened. His eyes snapped widely open and rolled back into his head while his entire body collapsed to the ground, bliss and wonderment overwhelming all of his other senses as his mind faded out. 

“Sorry about this Ívarr, but I just want to talk. Hopefully you’ll be in a better mood in a couple minutes,” Åsmund muttered to the dragon in front of him. He stood up, rubbing Ívarr’s jawline and moving up to scratch behind his ear. At this action, the large Night Fury gave out a loud purring sound that could easily be heard by the others.

From the sidelines, the three Night Furies eyes’ widened in shock as they saw their alpha fall by the human’s hands. When it finally registered, however, Sigurd and Hjálmarr immediately drew back on their hunches and prepared to avenge Ívarr. Njörðr sensed this and stopped the other two from going after him. During their small scuffle, their ears caught the sounds of Ívarr purring, shocking them all into silence.

**“Okay this human just knocked out our Alpha, has him purring in happiness and he’s friends with an Elemental Fury. Yep we’re dead,”** Hjálmarr deadpanned.

Njörðr hissed in annoyance at his comment, ordering them both back with a glare before she calmly walked over to Åsmund and Ívarr. **“Have to say, I’m impressed with what you just did here. You effortlessly took down our Alpha and didn’t injury him at all,”** she said as he stood up and walked away from Ívarr. As he passed her, she gave him a gentle nudge and Åsmund halted his steps. The two locked eyes for several seconds before the human shyly looked back to the unconscious dragon.   

“He’ll be out for a little bit and will wake up without any trouble or long lasting effect. When he does wake up, hopefully he’ll be calm enough to talk to,” he stated as the other two made their way over to check on Ívarr. In the meantime, Åsmund retrieved his pole and gave himself a quick inspection, especially over his still injured hand.

**“So…** ” Sigurd started as he studied his alpha. **“This is an unexpected result, Åsmund. I never knew you were this… proficient in taking down dragons.”**   The second larger dragon couldn’t hide a bit of nervousness from his voice. To a combination of his surprise and slight annoyance, the human let out a loud laugh. 

“The only dragons I know well enough to do this confidently are Night Furies or Elemental Furies. I learned these secrets from Razor, including something I gave Njörðr.”  Åsmund started laughing again slowly, leaning against this pole.  Njörðr smirked at his silent invitation and revealed the pair of new fins along her body to her mate and friend. 

They stared at her new features in surprise, looking down at their own backs in wonder before looking at Åsmund.  **“So all Night Furies have that? What do they do?”** Hjálmarr asked.

His answer came from Njörðr, **“He says they can help us turn faster.  I haven’t tested them out yet, but I can’t wait to try them out.”**

Åsmund watched as the three discussed the fins he unlocked from Njörðr, remembering the first time he did the same to Razor and her similar excitement as she showed them off to the other dragons when they had stayed with the Sea King. He smiled fondly at the memory and watched Ívarr sleeping soundly, wondering how much he could change this dragon with just this small fight, or if there was more he would need to do. He studied the shadow being cast by the sun and then back to Ívarr _.  ‘Shouldn’t be too much long until he wakes up and we probably will start this all over again’._   He checked over his left wrist once more despite feeling no pain, wanting to gauge his strengths and weaknesses in case his next confrontation turned south. 

After satisfying his immediate curiosity about Njörðr’s new feature and double checking that Ívarr was alright, Sigurd took a deep breath in and slipped into the mindset of second commander. Despite the respectful behavior the human and the Elemental Fury had demonstrated so far, the human’s ease in bringing down his commander and alpha sent a wave of unease down his spine. Sigurd had a few questions that needed answers. Ignoring Njörðr’s slight pleading look, he walked over to the human and asked, **“I saw you strike Ívarr twice. The second hit knocked him out and made him…”** Sigurd cast a small glance at the still unconscious dragon. **“That, but what did the first strike accomplish?”**  

Åsmund lowered his head and then looked up at Sigurd, readily confessing, “There is a nerve bundle under your jaw that if hit, will disable you from being able to ignite your plasma shots. The gas still pools inside of your mouth but it won’t ignite when you attempt to expel it out.” 

Sigurd blinked in slight shock that one of their most power attacks could be so easily disabled, but apparently spending years with an Elemental Fury and the two high dragons greatly assists in knowledge such as this. Deciding to tuck that bit away for later, he moved on to his next question. **“So what is your plan for when Ívarr wakes up?”**  

Åsmund sighed at the dragon’s inquiry. Truthfully, Åsmund’s only plan at this part was winging it and hoping everything would work out fine. He looked past Sigurd to the napping Ívarr and quietly voiced, “Hope he doesn’t immediately attack because next time, I’ll just disable his movements and force him to listen. Don’t worry, though,” he decided to add at noticing Sigurd’s distrusting look. “Everything I hit is only temporary, merely used for short disabling; nothing is permanent, except for the fins I gave Njörðr.” 

Sigurd shook his head at the man’s comment, unable to believe anything the human had spoken about thus far. The other Night Furies and he were fortunate that Åsmund was staying cooperative and open so far, but he couldn’t deny the great risks he and the Elemental Fury posed to his mate, friend, and colony. That along with his casual response about taking down his Alpha elicited feelings of distrust towards human even more. For now, though, he would allow the human to take the lead, but will always be ready in case the man slipped up.

Keeping those thoughts to himself, he turned around and spoke to the other two still looking over Ívarr.  **“Alright, time to wake up Ívarr.  Let’s see how well Åsmund can reason until Ívarr decides to listen to what he has to say.”**

**“Or watch him dodge Ívarr’s attacks before he can even get a word out,”** Hjálmarr suggested, casting his own glare to match the one Njörðr sent his way. **“Do not even give me that. We all know his exact attitude towards Elemental Furies and humans. The fact that _I_ am the one reasoning with you must tell how bizarre this whole thing is.” **

The pair moved away from Ívarr as Sigurd stepped towards the resting Alpha, sobering their faces into peaceful neutrality. Stopping a few inches away from the figure, Sigurd lowered his head down and started to nudge Ívarr slowly with his snout.  After a few minutes of prodding, Ívarr slowly roused back to consciousness, his eyelids dazedly opening. 

**“What happened?”**   Ívarr asked in a soft tone as he slowly raised himself off the ground. His body gave out slight protest the disturbance of its restful state, but he pushed those feelings aside in order to address the issue at hand.

**“You were knocked out by the human, who is still waiting for you to talk to him,”** Njörðr replied confidently, her new fins twitching in sync to her hidden nervousness.

Ívarr blinked his eyes a few more times as he raised himself fully off the ground, noticing the human leaning against the pole he had used earlier as a weapon.  _Resourceful human, but I won’t back down that easily,_ he thought as he moved towards the human.

Before he could take a step, he heard Sigurd speak with a slightly defiant but mostly serious tone. **“He’s going to keep disabling you until you talk to him sir.  He doesn’t want to harm you or the colony, his actions here against you should be proof of that.”**  

**“And what about continually attacking me until I listen is considered peaceful, Sigurd?** **Have all three of you forgotten that this human and an Elemental Fury are trespassing on our territory and that they are near the colony? We have been forced to move once before by hostile invaders, and I will not allow it to happen again,”** Ívarr pointed out, managing to keep himself from launching another direct attack.

His three subjects gave each other knowing looks, understanding the truth to his worries. They had merely grow up with the stories of the conflict with the Elemental Fury, and their interactions with the humans have been mostly skirmishes only resulting in scratches. Ívarr on the other hand had lived through harsher times and would definitely not be so quick to forgive and forget. The fact that Åsmund had so easily taken Ívarr down also didn’t really set the initial impression he needed to win the alpha’s favor.

While Sigurd and Hjálmarr agreed with the alpha’s conflict, Njörðr could not fully find herself supporting their views. The time she had spent with Åsmund gifted her a more in-depth look into his character and from what she had witnessed so far, he was being truly honest. Although she knew it would most likely land her in trouble, she could not idly stand by as Åsmund’s honor was being slandered.

Her mate must have sensed this because before she could make a sound, Sigurd stated, **“With all due respect, sir, from what I have witnessed so far, this human truly means us no harm.”** Njörðr knew that was not what her mate truly felt, but maybe it was best if her thoughts were presented by someone else in authority. **“I am not asking for you to completely trust him at this time, but I implore you to at least listen to what he has to say.**

As Sigurd finished, the clearing fell into absolute silence as Ívarr took in his second-in-command’s words. The large dragon slowly looked back between the three of them and the human, who smartly stayed silent. Several moments later, Ívarr responded with, **“I do not doubt your current beliefs, Sigurd, though I feel your words are mostly your mate’s, one who has always displayed a clear head and a great ability in gauging other’s true intentions. However, I cannot allow this human to jeopardize our colony’s safety based on nothing but her short interactions with him.”**

**“Sir, please, just-”** Njörðr tried, but was immediately silenced with a sharp glare. The female obediently pulled back, but couldn’t help but return his harsh expression with one of her own.

**“Njörðr, for now it is best that you do not cross me. You three know nothing about what cruelties humans can accomplish.”**

**“Ívarr,”** Sigurd started, “ **If you would just-”**

**“Enough, Sigurd!”** Ívarr interrupted, a dark look clouding his eyes. **“Speak another word against me, I will make sure you never see those hatchlings of yours. If you three insist on crossing me, then I’ll not hesitate in ending your hatchlings once they hatch out of their eggs.”**

The trio stared at their leader in shock, not expecting such a sinister threat from their alpha. Ívarr merely met their shocked faces with blazing neutrality. Normally the large dragon would not issue threats to that degree, delivering harsh punishments for any dragon that so much as scratches a defenseless hatchling. However, this human along with the expected arrival of an Elemental Fury drew up all the past nightmares and protectiveness the alpha was bestowed with. If a bit of fear was needed to keep his subjects from putting the colony in danger, then what other choice did he have? An Alpha could not afford to be led astray by ignorant subjects.

As he wondered if his words were having any effect on Sigurd, Njörðr, and Hjálmarr, he heard rushing movement. He turned in time to meet the human rushing toward him.   


	7. An Alpha's Fury Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The battle continues between Ivarr and Asmund and it reaches it conclusion, will Razor and Toothless arrive to help or will the conflict be finished by the time they arrive?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: I do not own the "How to Train Your Dragon" Movies, Animated Series or Book series. Those characters belong to DreamWorks Animation and Cressida Cowell. My original characters are mine and if you wish to use him please ask me first.

Notes on how my writing style will be below:

_Words typed like this are thoughts in their head_  
Words like this are scenes/locations where it is occurring  
**Words typed like this is Dragonese**

**An Alpha's Fury Part 2**

Clearing

Despite his earlier promises and insistence, Åsmund felt an overwhelming desire to _attack_ the large dragon for his coldhearted threat toward his subjects. He cannot deny having made harsh threats himself, and feeling a small glint of pride when he follows through with them, but never has or would he ever threaten the lives of the young, whether they be human or dragon. The fact that this dragon was Njörðr and Sigurd's alpha only made Ívarr's word fuel more of Åsmund's fury.

Allowing himself a few moments to unleash his fury, the human closed the distance between himself and his target quickly with wide, focused eyes. Although part of him knew attacking the dragon like this would not gain him any favor anytime soon, another part decided he would deal with that issue only when his rage was spent.

He was nearly upon Ívarr before the fire breathing reptile took notice and spun around to meet him head on. Ívarr didn't have time to prepare and release a plasma shot, so instead he swiped at the human with his front left claw with as much force as he could muster from such a close distance. Due to his size and skill though, Ívarr could definitely supply enough power to knock the human aside and damage a few important parts as he went down.

With no time to dodge, Åsmund braced his Fury steel pole against the attack and felt vibrations run down his body as his weapon absorb the majority of the impact. To its well deserved credit, the Fury steel didn't break or even crack.

Ívarr released a deep growl of annoyance above him and pushed his paw down against the pole to try and dislodge the weapon from Åsmund's grip. The human let out a small at the added force and felt his feet dig into the earth as he tried to keep his upper body from lowering. If Åsmund wanted to keep the edge in this scuffle, then he could not afford to lose any ground against Ívarr.

Bending a hair's width at the knees, Åsmund mustered up a good bit of his strength and pushed up against Ívarr's paw. The force wasn't enough to knock the dragon off his legs, but it did give Åsmund the opening he needed to pull his weapon back and position himself in range of his next attack.

Directly in range of the Night Fury's numerous teeth, Åsmund raised his left hand and delivered the jaw blow that disables the dragon's plasma shot. Åsmund grunted silently at the harsh impact his injured hand experienced, but knew he needed to take this chance in order to gain the upper hand.

Ívarr grunted from the strike as well, too stunned to think about snapping at the human as he swooped away from him. As soon as he regained his senses, the Night Fury started gathering gas inside the back of his mouth and habitually shot his blast out when time was up. To his great shock, there was not an accompanying explosion or fire below him. The gas had been released but without the proper igniting spark, the substance merely smoked lazily out the sides of his mouth.

Åsmund smirked at his small victory and looked at the right area where the leg connected to the body, targeting a specific nerve bundle. Locating exactly where to hit by studying the muscle movements, the human snuck back under the dragon as the reptile continued trying to ignite his shot. He landed two pinpoint strikes with his pole, causing the right front leg to go limp.

Åsmund jumped back out again from underneath him, watching in slight satisfaction when Ivarr's expression flashed a quick blink of worried panic. The satisfaction quickly diminished as he reminded himself that his mission was not yet completed. Moving back defensively, he loudly shouted, "Ívarr please, just stop this. I only want to talk. I don't want to keep disabling you, but I will if I have to in order for you to listen to me."

" **Only** _ **talk**_ **with me?** **No!** **I will not listen to your lies, human. You all are the same. You are just playing with me in order for you to claim** **prizes of my subjects' heads,"** Ívarr angrily snapped back as he tried to balance himself on three legs with the other limp and useless below him. **"I have lived and experienced enough in my lifetime to know who to trust and who must be stopped in order to protect what I stand for."**

Åsmund shook his head and looked at Ívarr, _Even more stubborn than most Vikings or Razor. It must be a Night Fury trait._ He held his pole tight as he waited for his opponent to make the next move, though there wasn't much that the handicapped dragon could do at the moment. "If you wish only to protect your colony, then why would you threaten to end the lives of Njörðr and Sigurd's hatchlings?"

They circled around each other slowly, gauging what each other may do next and wondering who would initiate the next move. During this process, Ívarr only glared at the human and took almost a minute to confess, **"As if you humans do not enact worse punishments on those who disobey you for minor offenses. My job is to protect my own colony, from both outside and internal threats."** The alpha casts a quick look to his three subjects, something passing through their gazes. A moment later, both Sigurd and Njörðr gave each other understanding looks while Hjálmarr just lowered his head.

Åsmund waited for Ívarr to finish his thoughts, both to gain some time to plan and genuinely curious about his reasoning. Apparently though, the dragon was no longer in the mood to discuss his motives with a human he was planning to eliminate. Ívarr's leg still hadn't regained any feeling, since he still kept his weight off of it, but Åsmund knew time was running out.

Once the dragon regained his mobility and signature attack, then it would all be over for the human. To lose this fight meant losing the chance to make his words heard. To prolong it and seriously injure Ívarr would only strengthen the dragon's hatred towards humans and Elemental Furies, effectively deafening his ears to pleas of teamwork. If Åsmund didn't make any important moves now, then he would end up losing both battles.

_Upper back below left and right shoulders._ _I need to hit those two spots_ _next_ _in order to_ _disable his wings._ With his purpose in mind, Åsmund charged forward.

Everyone expected the human to make some type of move, but none of them expected for Åsmund to charge at Ívarr once again.

Ívarr tilted his head slightly, one ear flap raising up while the other flattened against his head. He smirked, thinking, _this human is insane to keep coming at me. He must have a death wish. I will get him_ _soon,_ _and_ _then_ _I will kill him._

Ívarr lowered himself towards the ground, readying himself to pounce once Åsmund got closer, but found his attack wouldn't be that easy. Åsmund ran towards the Alpha in a random zigzag motion, keeping the dragon from easily predicting his path.

Ívarr focused on the moving target and leapt forward with his mouth extended, predicting where the human's head would be and planning on introducing him to his numerous teeth. When his sense of taste caught up with his mind though, all he tasted in his mouth was metal.

Seeing Ívarr's movements, Åsmund ducked at the last second and simultaneously planted his pole into the ground, mirroring the position his head occupied so Ívarr wouldn't have time to counter. With the dragon distracted, he jumped onto his opponent's back, landing in front of the wings. He quickly punched his fists into the two spots he needed to hit, feeling a strange amount of pleasure at the strong and intimate attack, and rolled off to the right side of the dragon's body. As he recovered from his dismount, Åsmund slightly held his left wrist as the limb hissed at him for inflicting the extra pain on himself.

Ívarr found himself growing angrier at the time it was taking to knock down the human and spit out the metal pole. He made a motion to buck off the pesky human only to notice it was already off of him and moving a little further away. Noticing his empty hands and an expression of pain flashing across his face, Ívarr couldn't help but chuckle smugly. **"No weapon now, human. How do you plan on stopping me now?"** Ívarr taunted as stood up taller and began lifting up his wings. To his immense shock, he found that he couldn't feel, much less move, them.

Ívarr's moment of hesitation gave Åsmund the opportunity he needed to dart under him and hit the left nerve bundle where the left leg connected to the body. The attack caused Ívarr to lose movement of both front limbs and forced the dragon to press his weight against his back legs to keep from falling onto the ground.

Being so close to the distracted Ívarr, Åsmund carefully rested himself on Ívarr's neck and hit another nerve bundle to keep him from moving his neck too much. The dragon lay completely under the human's mercy and when that thought clearly sunk in, Åsmund found his earlier anger cooling down as purpose fully returned to his mind. Carefully in order to avoid the dragon fully misunderstanding his desire, Åsmund asked, "Are you finally going to listen now, or will I have to try another method to make you pay attention to me?"

Anger intense at being bested by the human again, Ívarr vehemently snarled, **"Fine, I'll listen, but that doesn't mean I'll take what you say at what it is worth."**

The human moved his hand around the head trying to find that fin release nerves, much to Ívarr's hidden worry. "My friends should be here soon, I hope, so I'll only talk a little," he started saying, looking out at the other three cautiously coming towards them. "First off though, is extreme stubbornness a Night Fury trait, because I swear all of you seem to have it whether you are an Elemental Fury or a Night Fury?" His words were pointed, yet contained a note of humor to it. "I mean seriously, Sigurd, Hjálmarr and you all have these stubborn attitudes most of the time, as does Toothless and Razor. Njörðr seems to be the only one who possesses any reason the majority of the time."

Åsmund started to scratch behind the big Night Fury's ears, hoping to calm him down. His efforts earned him a loud snort.

" **What is with you and these movements? I've** **never** **encountered** **these things** **before,"** Ívarr quipped, masking his mix of curiosity and fear with neutrality. **"Why would your dragon, or any dragon for that matter, expose such important areas to any being, much less a human? With that, what is to stop you from just ending me right now and taking control of my colony, since you seem to have already claimed three of my subjects?"** His last words caused the three to shift on their legs in slight embarrassment. Having just witnessed their Alpha brought down before a human and having some small part in it filled them with some guilt.

Åsmund quietly smiled at his question, answering, "If it makes you feel any better, the ones I learned these techniques from didn't immediately teach me anything. They wanted me to prove to them that I wouldn't kill unless it was necessary. Once they trusted me, I knew I could never break my oath to them. As for what is happening now, I need you alive because we need to discuss some very important things and if you're dead, we can't do that. I am not saying you need to trust me at this time, but I do ask for you to at least hear everything I have to say. Can I at least have that from you?"

Ívarr didn't say anything for a few moments, his piercing eyes boring into Åsmund's from his position near the ground. For his part, the human halted his seeking movements so the dragon could quietly gauge him. When Ívarr finally turned his eyes away from him without saying anything, Åsmund knew that was the best response he could hope for at the moment.

"Alright, looks like I still have to prove you can trust me." The dragon's eyes narrowed into a look that could only be deciphered as a sarcastic 'No, really?' Apparently, this alpha was capable of humor. Åsmund was unable to hold back a laugh as he continued, "Believe it or not, I can be just as stubborn as you Night Furies. I won't relent until you understand what my true motives are. To help you trust me, I am going to give you something very useful. Hold still, please." The dragon, willing or not, had to comply with the request, but Åsmund was not about to breed more distrust between them.

Without all the pomp and ceremony he gave to Njörðr earlier, he pressed into the release spot. Soon the air filled with the sounds of pops as fins grew out along Ívarr's spine. Moving away, Åsmund smiled and stated, "There you go. Hope you enjoy them just as much as Njörðr does."

Ívarr felt the spines extend out from his body, but he couldn't move himself to fully see what the human had done to him. At the mention of the female, he gazed over at Njörðr. She stood there quietly as the larger dragon looked up and down along the line where he felt something pop out of his body. He observed silently as her fins split apart and come together as she maneuvered them to open and close at will.

Ívarr squinted as he studied her movements and he felt his fins do the same thing when he copied her. He turned his head and peered at Åsmund, moving towards Hjálmarr and Sigurd. The pair cast each other guarded looks before Hjálmarr stepped up first, his posture trusting, but his eyes sharp and on the lookout for any treachery. Åsmund flashed a comforting smile as he pressed his fingers along the area once again, moving away so the hot-tempered reptile could study this new feature himself.

_Three down, one to go_. When Åsmund made a motion to do the same with Sigurd, the dragon took a cautious step back as he looked between the other three. Njörðr's expression softened as she compelled her mate to trust her new friend. Hjálmarr still stared at his new features, but did not seem to be suffering anything ill with the additions. Ívarr did not display anything on his face, giving the slightly small dragon the choice to decide for himself.

With a deep breath, Sigurd approached the human and allowed him to touch along his spine. When he felt the fins spike out, he could feel Njörðr smile at him in contentment. Sigurd waited for Åsmund to step back before trying the new fins out for himself, and found his face betraying a bit of genuine pleasure.

"These fins will allow all of you to make tighter turns when going around corners," Åsmund stated, realizing he only told Njörðr what they were intended for. The males of the trio perked up at his statement while Njörðr's eyes sparkled, obviously pleased to be the first one in learning this secret about their kind.

Ívarr studied the three dragons' reactions, his face still not betraying what he personally felt about this new development. **"Why human? Why** **are you** **do** **ing** **this?"** he simply asked, unable to decipher the human's motive in showing them something that could put him in a disadvantage.

"To put it simply Ívarr: I care for dragons as if they are my own kind," was Åsmund's response, a warm smile stretched across his face. Ívarr's eyes widened as the human continued. "I was always a lonely human, and still would be if I didn't have Razor. The day I met her my life changed for the better. She confessed something to me about a week ago that made me realize how much she is a part of my life and how I can't imagine living without her or other dragons in the world."

Åsmund moved over towards Ívarr and put his hand on his snout, his eyes watering slightly. His next words contained great joy, but also hurt. "She said that if I was a dragon, I would be her mate. Since I'm not, she instead considers me her other half, even though she has a mate now. No matter what though, she'll have me for the rest of my life no matter what dragon she is with.

"I know you distrust humans, Ívarr, and distrust Elemental Furies even more, but I am sure you can trust that what I feel for her, my other half, is genuine if you were only to see us together. You most likely do not understand how such two different species like ours can care so deeply about each other, but we do and we are not the only ones. There are some who feel the same like us, and others who feel it less, but each of us would die if it means protecting our companions. Surely you can understand that much at least."

When Åsmund finished, tears were slowly rolling down his face and he made no motion to disguise his emotions. He loved Razor deeply and would face Ragnarök by himself if it meant keeping her safe. Of course even if he succeeded in that, Razor would most likely kill him herself for putting her through that heartache.

The downed Alpha let the human's words simmer in his mind for several moments as he tried to imagine dragons and humans caring for each other, much less an Elemental Fury feeling anything at all. For some dragons, like the impressionable Terrible Terrors and the preening Deadly Nadders, the thought was easier to accept. For others, like the proud Monstrous Nightmare, the image took much longer to form. Factor in the uncontrollable and raging Elemental Furies, and the human started sounding insane. Although, Ívarr could not deny the human definitely felt something toward this Fury, and he might as well entertain the thought of an Elemental Fury being an actual dragon.

Bracing himself for something near impossible, Ívarr curiously asked, **"Human, when you saw the Elemental Fury that you call Razor, what did their eyes look like and what happened afterwards?"** He had to know what the eyes were like, partly so he could finally start to possibly understand how this human survived his encounter with an Elemental Fury, microscopically hoping there was a way to reign in the one still endangering his colony.

Åsmund, feeling a spark at relief at finally having his chance, laughed a little as he sat down in front of the large dragon and recounted the day he met Razor.

Flashback - Outskirts of Fire Fury Territory – 18 years ago

Åsmund wandered through the forest area, oblivious to the world. His mind kept replaying the argument he just had with his father about his continued work in the forge. His father insisted he needed to do a lot more with his life than just 'play around with metal' all day and his thoughts on what would be a better use of his time had elicited several crude responses from Åsmund.

Their conversation escalated a bit from there, but Åsmund's mind was already far out of it when he stormed away from the forge and his father. A few sentences of what was said buzzed around his head but he pushed those away. Right now, he needed to cool down and plan how to approach the man later with his opinion and not lose control while doing so. Could take him an hour, maybe five, maybe the whole day.

"Who am I kidding?" Åsmund stated out loud. "I will probably need to stay out here a week before I even think about speaking to that guy again!" Nothing answered to his statement, not that he was expecting anything to really. He was purposefully far from the village at this point in order to guarantee he wouldn't run into anybody.

Åsmund scoffed and kicked at a rock on the ground, watching it skid across his vision and camouflage itself among a pile of its kind. He glanced up and noticed a deer in the distance, looking towards him. The deer's ears flicked as it studied him and Åsmund just smiled, amazed at the beauty of the animal in front of him. He found himself calming down almost instantly, as what usually happened when he encountered wild life. Not enough to go back to his father, but calm enough that he might not immediately start shouting as soon as he walked through the house.

The deer were so busy staring at the two legged creature before it that it did not see or sense something sneaking towards them. Silently, the predator lunged out from its hiding spot and bite down on the deer's neck, silencing the prey's screams before any hint of a sound escape its mouth.

Åsmund jumped up in shock at the sudden attack and backed away several feet before daring to focus on what killed the deer. His mind immediately narrowed down to it being a dragon, since the common predators were on the other side of the forest and could not silence its prey so quickly. Although he correctly expected a dragon, the dragon in front of him was not one he had expected to see, or even believe to exist, at all.

The reptile's form was something Åsmund had only seen in sketches and descriptions made by the villagers: great wingspan, four powerful looking legs, long and powerful looking tail, and sharp teeth visible as it tore at its meal. It could only be a Night Fury, which was not even the most terrifying part about this dragon. Even from this distance and through the thrashing of the deer's tanned coat, the dragon's whole body shone a bright red along with a few flashes of yellow when it exposed its underbelly. The colors' intensity and the dragon's chaotic movements reminded Åsmund greatly of fire and he knew exactly what he was looking at.

The elusive and dangerous Fire Fury.

His heart raced a few moments after the attack as his breath came in fast, short gasps. They had been attacked by Night Furies before, according to other villagers, but those attacks had stopped nearly 10 years ago. Right at the time this red Night Fury, who burned brightly with hate and fire, appeared. Fortunately for them, the dragon mostly stayed in its territory and only killed anything that came into this place. When it started claiming its space though, many of the villager hunters during that time had died when they unknowingly entered its boundaries. It took several years until they finally found those boundaries and since then, there have been very few interactions with this thing.

Until now that is. " _Must have missed the markers when I ran out here. Oh Thor, I am so dead_."

He waited for the creature to notice him staring and turn its sights on him. Granted it might not want to eat him (Odin help him if it did!), but from what he knows of normal dragons and what the villagers say, dragons will sometimes eat whatever moves if they are hungry enough. The Fire Fury was most likely not any different in this regard.

" _The Fire Fury"_ , Åsmund repeated, his thoughts lessening a bit in fear in exchange for a touch of curiosity. " _The Fire Fury is real. It's right here. Right in front of me_."

Suddenly, the fact that he was looking at an almost mythical dragon clicked in his mind. A normal person might regale the experience of seeing a legendary and dangerous dragon at a later point in time, preferably when they are far and away from said legendary and dangerous dragon. Of course, Åsmund never really was a normal type of person anyway. He cautiously stood up straighter and felt his body begin to calm down until his heart was beating at its normal pace and his hands were no longer shaking.

The sickening crunch of bone filled the air as the Fire Fury tore into its kill, apparently not noticing it had an audience.

A sudden knot of instinctual fear kicked in, practically yelling at him to run and thank his luck once he was completely out of danger. He didn't though. Instead, his body moved him forward towards the great dragon on its own accord.

Quietly but non-threateningly, Åsmund moved closer upon the unsuspecting Fire Fury. He knew the dragon finally recognized his presence when he saw the Fire Fury's ear plates perk up and it raised its head, scenting the air.

While it did so, Åsmund continuing admiring the beauty and sleek nature of the Fire Fury. Few had ever seen this dragon, and even fewer survived the encounter to tell about it. Åsmund did not dwell on which group he would fall under, though. The Fire Fury turned its head to satisfy its own curiosity about the unexpected presence and locked its eyes with Åsmund's.

Right then and there, everything seemed to freeze. Staring directly at Åsmund was the pair of solid, golden yellow eyes of the Fire Fury, eyes that seemed almost hypnotical, ancient and powerful. A feeling overcame Åsmund, telling him something big was about to happen and that he had no reason to fear anymore. The feeling of panic made its protest about that plan by clutching something in his gut, but he was too focused to really notice. He was waiting for something and it seemed this dragon was as well, though he could not for the life of him understand how he knew that.

Once the Fire Fury completely took in the sight of Åsmund, it suddenly cringed almost into a ball and let out a howl, screech, and roar of pain. Before a thought could enter the human's mind, the dragon backed away and shook its head wildly, stepping over the remains of the deer. Its body gave out under it and Åsmund watched in confusion and worry as the reptile started writhing on the ground, loudly vocalizing some type of immense pain that overtook its body.

The scene dragged on for a minute until its pained screeches quickly silenced and it stopped moving, save for the rapid rise and fall of its chest as it took in deep breathes. Eyes staring up at something above, it sluggishly stood up on shaky legs and locked gazes with him once more.

This time, though, Åsmund immediately saw something that was definitely lacking the last time their eyes met for that first time. In the physical sense, the Fury's eyes now possessed large, black pupils instead of being complete golden yellow. Along with that though, the eyes which had only recently been flashing anger were now gentle with a stare that bore right into his soul.

Her stare, for something told him the Fire Fury was a female, displayed an intelligence Åsmund had only seen among his fellow humans, never on any animal creature. This intelligence called out to him not in fear or weariness like an animal seeing a human for the first time might have, but in a mix of excitement and curiosity as if Åsmund was a new tool she didn't know she needed until this very moment.

They edged towards each other and were soon separated less than a few feet apart from each other. Neither said anything but both of their thoughts reached the same conclusion together.

This was a day the both of them would never forget, ever.

Present Day – Clearing on Island West of Night Fury Colony

Once Åsmund came to the end of this tale, Ívarr went through his own memory as he thought back to when the Earth Fury was born. Out of everything the human told, it was the details about his first glimpse of Razor's eyes that sparked Ívarr's greatest recollection. He, too, remembered similar eyes staring back at him on the day he learned what true fear was. _No pupils and_ _only_ _one color_ _dominating_ _its eyes._ _No consciousness at all._ _Just_ _a powerful entity_ _killing creature_ _after_ _creature without concern._

Steeling his nerves and pleading that he was not making a deadly mistake, Ívarr blurted out, **"I** **temporarily cease my** **attacks, but I need to see your Elemental Fury** **before I fully** **believe** **you and listen to your cause** **. I still don't believe that** **Elemental Furies** **can be calmed or soothed, especially after what I saw that day.** **You may try persuading me for the rest of your life, but the memory of what I saw still remains fresh and nothing short of absolute proof will even let me entertain the notion that Furies can feel anything beyond rage.** **"**

Åsmund bowed his head in both understanding and acknowledgement. _I was hoping for more understanding, but I see that the steps to get him to fully trust me and Razor will have to be small and gradual. Great Odin, I hope we have the time to take them all._

A roar suddenly filled the air as two dragons landed in the clearing, one being a standard Night Fury and the other a flaming red one. The Elemental Fury, the dragon Ívarr had been most anxious not to ever see again in his lifetime.

" **So I see that my worrying was unfounded. I'm sorry I doubted you Åsmund,"** Razor said with great relief as she moved towards him slowly, unsure about what to expect from the other dragons around them.

"It's alright Razor, I know you always worry about me, but you trained me well," Åsmund stated proudly as he waved with his left hand, then winced and held his wrist close to his chest. "Okay, maybe I over did, but only twice!"

Razor moved over to him, chuckling quietly, as Hiccup dismounted Toothless and calculated the scene before him. Razor looked at the Night Fury planted on the ground, having no doubt that he had to be the Alpha as his eyes trailed her movements.

"Come here Razor, Hiccup and Toothless please come over here as well so you can meet the colony alpha," Åsmund called out. He turned his gaze to Ívarr and introduced everyone, "Guys and dragons, this is Ívarr, the Alpha of a Night Fury colony near here."

The dragon in question continued to only focus his gaze on Razor, but there was definite movement in his expressions that clearly displayed his displeasure at being introduced in his current state. _Looks like it will take just a_ bit _more to fully convince him,_ Åsmund thought. _Guess we will fly over that ocean when we get to it._

"Ívarr, this is my other half, Razor the Elemental Fury of Fire or Fire Fury and," he pointed over to Hiccup and Toothless that just arrived besides Razor. "Hiccup, Chief of Berk, with his other half, Toothless the Alpha whom is also Razor's mate."


	8. Negotiations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trying to convince Ivarr has begun but will Ivarr's stubbornness prevent a small alliance from happening?

_Words typed like this are thoughts in their head_  
Words like this are scenes/locations where it is occurring   
**Words typed like this is Dragonese  
 _Words typed like this are the mental link between Razor and Toothless_**

Clearing

Ívarr looked at the three new arrivals, but focused intently on Razor. He intensely regarded her up and down as much as he could from his disabled position, but possessed enough mobility to latch his gaze onto the spot he needed to see the most: her eyes. Bright, yellow iris, black pupiled, _calm_ eyes.

_Those eyes are not like how I remember the Elemental Fury those many years ago. This can't be an Elemental Fury in front of me._ Ívarr thought, figuring out the best way to unravel his test without risking great injury. Agitating an Elemental Fury never boded well for the poor dragon it set its rage on. If this Elemental Fury was truly 'calm', then maybe the seemingly impossible legends are true. If not, then he would die protecting his colony from another menace.

**"I must ask you something Elemental Fury,"** Ívarr began calmly, changing his tone to a more aggressive and taunting one as he asked, **"How** **does** **it** **feel** **being known as the deadliest and most feared dragon** **who** **enjoy** **s, no, relishes on** **killing?** **Did you** **enjoy killing your family and friends when you were reborn?** **Was** **the taste of their blood,** **along with** **all the other creatures and humans that you killed as well, in your mouth the ultimate** **and greatest** **pleasure for you?"**

Razor simply stared at him with wide, _gentle_ eyes as she stared at the larger dragon before her. This was not the first time she had been asked similar questions, nor did she expect it would be the last. Many lives have been lost when Elemental Furies came into the world and those memories have scarred even the toughest of beings. This Alpha had definitely witnessed these horrors firsthand and combined with his position as head of his colony, he had a right to be cautious around her. There have been moments where she too had hated and feared what she had become and done.

Those thoughts snapped away however when she heard Toothless start to growl beside, obviously angry about the comments directed towards her, his mate. _Mate. His mate. My mate,_ Razor sighed in her mind, lightly shaking her head and licking his cheek in silent gratitude. _Despite the horrors I have committed, I am still loved and so long as it embraces me, then my past can no longer haunt me._

Taking in a deep breath, Razor replied, **"If you** **truly** **think that** **I enjoy killing so much,** **then** **tell me** **why are you,** **along with** **the three I encountered** **earlier,** **not dead right now?** **Truthfully** **, I despise taking a life unless it is unavoidable. The death of my friends and family still haunt me to this day** **and will likely never go away. The** **day I was reborn is the worst day of my entire life and** **the only thing that keeps me from ending my life with my own paws is knowing, deep down, that the monster I was then is** **n't who I am now.** **Every time I prevent** **one** **innocent from** **death,** **I take a** **step closer to being redeemed."**

She slowly moved over towards Ívarr and laid down in front of him, wanting to lock his eyes into hers. **"So, am I** **the raging, mindless beast** **you expected, or has meeting myself and fighting** **with** **my other half** **altered your views** **?"** she asked pointedly to the stubborn Night Fury before her.

Ívarr, expecting his questions to irritate the Elemental Fury enough to ignite her destructive anger, found himself in disbelief that she remained calm and answered back with no malice. _I can't believe what I'm seeing and hearing. This Ele... I mean, Razor, really does seem to be a normal Night Fury._ _Could her types actually be trusted? Is it possible that with enough time and understanding-_

Ívarr found his thoughts suddenly become overwhelmed with vivid memories. Memories of the Earth Elemental Fury destroying everything, slaughtering almost every dragon he knew, fleeing in fear that he would not make it. Memories of the very young afraid to sleep in case the safety they found was nothing but a cruel dream and older dragons, hearts still racing with no trace of slowing down, suffering in their sleep and sometimes not waking up. Gradually, all of them had learned to move on from that time, but the memories never strayed far from their thoughts.

_No… at least, not with me or those who remember those days clearly. None of us will ever forget the rage, those feral eyes. However… maybe those whose trust never broke will have an easier time. Gods, may I not be making a huge mistake._

He closed his eyes in deep thought, opening them widely as he spoke, **"Alright. For now I'm convinced that she isn't like an Elemental Fury I remember, and I will speak to your human, Åsmund, if I remember correctly."**

Razor simply smiled and stood up as Åsmund moved back over to Ívarr, keeping his movements noticeable. "Alright, I'm going to press some points on your body to unlock what I disabled. It may hurt and you'll be sore for a bit, but you'll be fine." Åsmund calmly said, moving onto Ívarr's back and pressing down on three points on his back and neck needed to release his wings and neck. Audible pops could be heard as he released the wings, but there were no movements from Ívarr, who still regarded them with cautious eyes. Åsmund jumped off of him and whispered into his ear, "Roll onto your side."

Ívarr tensed for a moment and it took him a while to comply with the human in exposing his soft underside to Åsmund with Hiccup and the others observed the scene in silence. Åsmund pressed two spots near the center of Ívarr's chest perpendicular to his front legs. His two legs stretched out as the points were pressed and a low growl escaped the maw of the dragon. Åsmund moved up to the chin of the dragon and rubbed along its length before pressing and spot near the jaw joint, eliciting another loud pop. Ívarr jumped in pain as the sound faded and growled as he eyed the human in measured resentment.

"I said it might hurt, but everything is now released, as promised. So, are you ready to talk?" Åsmund stated, flashing a small smirk and waving his hand to gesture everyone over. Ívarr nodded slowly and sat in his hind legs, curling his large tail around himself while the others sat around Åsmund. The colony Alpha, even sitting, still commanded an air of respect that his subjects and the new arrivals could plainly sense. Åsmund must have felt it as well, because his earlier self-confident posture melted down to one seeking an audience with a being above his station. If Ívarr approved of this change, not even his subjects could say with certainty.

Once everyone gathered round, Åsmund began telling an abridged version of his travels, explained the task that Razor and he were on a quest for, and supplied all of the information he knew about the soothers and locations that he felt they resided at.

Ívarr listened intently to everything that was said and then once Åsmund finished, he called over the trio from his colony to briefly converse with them. They spoke for a while, their words incomprehensible to the four waiting in their spots and their tones betraying nothing of where the discussion was going.

" _ **Are you worried?**_ **"** Toothless asked Razor, as the five minute mark approached and the sun was close to descending below the tree line. _**"It would be frustrating if you made this much progress only to be denied at the last moment."**_

" _ **A little,"**_ Razor admitted, moving closer to her mate. She made sure his thoughts were solely on her before she added, _**"But if Ívarr pushes me away, then I will understand. Elemental Furies and humans have never been favorable confrontations with him. However, I feel that if the other three wish to trust us, then Ívarr will not openly bar them from doing so."**_

As the dragon groups went on in their private conversations, the only humans gave each other amused looks. Even though they were their dragons' other halves, not even they could come between a pair of mates comforting each other.

Their amusement immediately sobered when they saw the bigger group of dragons break up and head back their way. Razor and Toothless also broke each other's gaze in anticipation of the colony Alpha's decision.

Ívarr, standing tall with his subjects beside him, announced, **"You may rest here tonight,** **and** **I'll think more on what to do once the sun dragon rises.** **However, I definitely** **want to speak with, Toothless,"** it took great strain for Hiccup not to chuckle at Ívarr's bewildered expression. Laughing at this time would most likely not be very proper, **"tomorrow before I make my decision."**

Toothless blinked and tilted his head slightly at the request, asking, **"What** **would** **want to talk to me about?"**

Hiccup moved his eyes from side to side at Toothless' question. _I wish I could understand all_ _the_ _dragons right now. I hate one sided conversations,_ he silently complained.

The other Alpha didn't answer Toothless' inquiry, addressing everyone overall with, **"Tomorrow** **we will continue conversing** **. No doubt you** **all** **are hungry and require rest from your journey and fights. Three of us will return tomorrow,** **and** **Njörðr will stay behind so she can be ready to lay her eggs in the nursery."** Ívarr's expression clearly said he did not want to release that bit of information, but Njörðr's posture beside him and Sigurd suggested she would not have fully complied with her leader unless he did so. Maybe later, Åsmund could ask her about it.

"Agreed. We will rest and come up with a sensible conclusion for all of us," Åsmund complied.

The four Furies gave the group final glances before flying up. With Ívarr leading, they executed a quick circle around the clearing and flew into the direction of their colony. The two humans and their partners watched the group until they disappeared from their sight, breaking off to start setting up camp.

Razor and Toothless shot down and divided up large trees to build a pyre for her while Hiccup and Åsmund started making a couple lean-tos for them to sleep in. Razor's pyre would warm them all for the night so they did not worry about creating a spot for a campfire.

Once everything was ready, the four of them gathered together to discuss the next day as the sun slowly sank below the horizon.

"So we need to talk about the colony situation. Knowing Ívarr he'd probably only let one of us in," Åsmund started saying, but quickly got cut off by Razor, **"Last thing I'm doing is letting you go into a Night Fury colony by yourself. You need someone else with you and that's final."** Åsmund looked at Razor and rolled his eyes at his overprotective dragon. That is, until Toothless added, **"** **She's right** **. No one should be alone in the colony. Whether it is two dragons, two humans, or a human and a dragon, we need to** **go in** **pairs and that's final."**

"Well I am not going to let you go in there, Razor," Åsmund stated firmly. "They have been traumatized by the Earth Elemental Fury and will most likely not feel comfortable with another Elemental Fury walking into their home. I definitely need to go though, because I am the only other one who knows everything that is going to happen."

" **I do not think so, Åsmund. You are still injured and when the colony finds out how easily you took down their Alpha, they might fear you. From what I have gathered so far, these Night Furies have suffered greatly by human hands as well,"** Razor explained, her protective nature revealing itself once again.

" **Åsmund is right that he should be the one to go, since he knows what to say and has already gained some trust with Njörðr and a speck of Ívarr's respect. If they fear an Elemental Fury, then that definitely means you should not go, Razor. I am not an Elemental Fury yet and am still technically a 'regular' Night Fury. The colony might feel safer with me."**

" **But you are also an Alpha, Toothless. Ívarr may not have been so overbearing with you while he was out here but I am sure he is going to be much more protective if you try to go into his colony."**

"Razor is right," Åsmund replied. "Another Alpha encroaching on another Alpha's territory will not be well received." The human looked between the two dragons for a moment, took in a deep breath, and continued, "Since neither of you are the best option to enter the colony, it will be best if Hiccup and I go in."

That elicited several protests from both dragons, each reptile complaining how they should stay with their human partners while also saying why their human would be in danger. **"Hiccup only understands Razor and I. He will basically be going in deaf,"** Toothless argued, leading Åsmund to insist that since he understood every dragon that the two of them would not be in too much damage.

Hiccup sat with his arms crossed in front of him thinking as the other three spoke back and forth. After a few minutes of their arguing and growing a little infuriated by the suggestions being thrown around, Hiccup loudly interrupted. "Everyone, listen!" The group grew quiet as they seemed to remember that they had a fourth member who, despite not knowing Dragonese fully, still understood what they were saying. "One, I agree we need to partner up, and Ívarr would definitely not allow an Elemental Fury or a Night Fury he doesn't know into his colony. Especially since the Night Fury is also an alpha and can give commands to other dragons to obey."

He stood up and continued, "So that right there means the only two that can go in are Åsmund and I. Problem is, I doubt he'll let us go in with any weapons, my flight suit or Åsmund's armor. We'll need them to trust us by just going in with plain clothes. Lastly, I doubt he would let us fly to the colony because that would mean giving away its location to all four of us. If we want him to trust us, then neither Razor nor Toothless can follow us and Åsmund and I will only be permitted to go where he wants us to go."

The others listened to Hiccup's arguments and once he finished, Åsmund nodded in agreement. "All valid points, and I guess that settles who is going to the colony. I would request Ívarr offer us a guide so we don't go where he doesn't want us to go. He mentioned a nursery and I bet that will be one place he will want us to stay away from." He stood up and stroked Razor's face, concluding, "As for the last thing you said, we could always blindfold ourselves as an act of trust when we are flying to and from."

Hiccup smiled at the suggestions and nodded. "I guess that settles that for our plan." While the humans seemed content with the plans, their dragons did not express such confidence.

Toothless nudged Hiccup in worry and looked at him with his large green eyes, saying with a bit of concern, **"I don't like this, for the simple fact that I'm not going to be able to help in anyway."**

Hiccup patted Toothless's head slowly to reassure him, whispering, "Trust me, I know this makes you uneasy, but we need them to trust us and even though we'll be weaponless," he looked over at Åsmund and smiled as he pointed at him, "I won't be defenseless in any way. You saw that Åsmund had Ívarr immobilized when we got here. He took down a Night Fury without injuring him, but I do understand the concern the both of you are having. We'll be in the middle of a colony of unknown number of Night Furies and personalities, ones that have been taught to fear humans and Elemental Furies. We are going into an unknown and possibly dangerous place, but I hold out hope that with Åsmund, I will be safe."

The three looked at Hiccup and smiled at the confidence he was expressing, but Toothless was the happiest most of all. _He's trying to_ _act_ _as he was before Drago, and I'm happy about that. What that monster did was unforgivable and what Hiccup said to Åsmund had me concerned, but I'm glad that it hasn't changed my other half that much._ He licked Hiccup from chest to face, earning a familiar scolding about the difficulty of his saliva washing out.

Toothless laughed at him and then bounded over to Razor and nuzzled against her.

"Let's eat and turn in for the night. Tomorrow will most definitely be tiring for all of us, but we will be back by sunset. I'll make sure of it," Åsmund concluded confidently as he grabbed some dried fish from the saddle bag and threw one to Hiccup. Razor and Toothless continued nuzzling and enjoying each other's company while their human companions ate.

Once everyone was fed, Razor entered the pyre and Toothless lit it on fire. Hiccup and Åsmund took shelter under their lean-tos and enjoyed the warmth of the pyre while Toothless laid himself down near it, positioning himself so that the heat was not cut off from them.


	9. Decisions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ívarr and his group return to make their final decision of who to allow into the colony and how best to proceed with it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: I do not own the “How to Train Your Dragon” Movies, Animated Series or Book series. Those characters belong to DreamWorks Animation and Cressida Cowell. My original characters are mine and if you wish to use him please ask me first. I only own the plot.

_Words typed like this are thoughts in their head_  
Words like this are scenes/locations where it is occurring  
**Words typed like this is Dragonese**

Decisions

Night Fury Colony

Ívarr woke up the next day in a sort of daze. Sleep had not come easily to the leader and when his mind did end up dreaming, they were anything but pleasant. His memories constantly bombarded his dreams, twisting and weaving into his night fantasies so much he almost swore they were prophetic. When morning did approach, he almost believed he just imagined the events of yesterday sense they seemed so impossible.

The timely arrival of Hjálmarr and Sigurd at the entrance of his sleeping quarters quickly shooed away those notions. Their faces were focused and stern, with a touch of the exhaustion Ívarr felt, as they waited for their leader.  **“You ready sir?”** Sigurd asked as he looked at his Alpha.

 Ívarr simply nodded, spreading out his wings and rushing past the pair, catching the air currents with practiced ease. Behind him, Sigurd and Hjálmarr followed and the three of them flew out of the Alpha’s cave and towards the cave system exit. They remained silent totally silent, safe for the occasional flap and whoosh of their wings as they continued flying. The two friends stayed quiet as they didn’t know if talking about what may happen today would be an acceptable conversation. Ívarr kept his silence because his thoughts were still scattered and he needed to compose them before meeting up with a possible threat.   

They approached the blocked exit and together, moved the boulder enough for them to squeeze past the opening. Replacing the obstacle, although Ívarr possessed more than enough strength to do both tasks himself, they scanned for anything that might have noticed the secret entry. Content that nothing was around, the three took off and flew towards the island they left the four visitors at. 

During the flight, Ívarr spoke out. **“I want to know more about this other Night Fury and how he’s the Elemental Fury’s mate. These developments on their own intrigue me but for some reason, his presence is something ‘more’, like he is a real Alpha.  After I hear his story, I’ll make my decision on what to do.  The dragons will definitely not enter into the Colony, but the humans I’m precautious about allowing entrance, if what they say is not overly threatening. ”**  

Sigurd nodded with the Alpha’s plan while Hjálmarr just grunted, not really wanting to be brought along on this adventure. He felt that if anything were to go wrong at all, the blame would solely be placed on him, and he was in no mood to deal with another scolding.

**“Something you disagree with, Hjálmarr?”** Ívarr asked, his tone like sharpened steel.

**“At this time? No, sir. I am just wary about what may happen, as I am sure you are as well.”**

**“You mean you are waiting for me to once again tell you how your recklessness has put the Colony in danger and expecting to be downgraded once more until I finally learn to trust you to not keep making things complicated,”** Ívarr snapped back, his eyes never moving away from the direction they were heading.

Startled, Hjálmarr nearly fumbled in the air before he quickly recovered, giving his leader a long look. Ívarr merely elaborated. **“Make no mistake, Hjálmarr, I am furious with you. I am so furious with you that I have half a mind to excommunicate you from the colony, shred your wings, and make you fend for yourself. Why don’t I? Because your strength and skills, although usually causing trouble, protects the colony when it counts. Because Sigurd and Njörðr are always defending you and I trust their judgement, though not so fully anymore.”** Sigurd ducked his head at the implication, although that was all the discomfort he displayed.

Ívarr continued. **“Because, believe it or not, I care about all of my subjects and even though it would be so easy to condemn you as a frustrating hatchling in need of overdue punishment, the fact that all of my subjects are basically my hatchlings stills my wrath against you. Make no mistake I will not let you go unpunished, but it will be a punishment meant as a teaching tool, not for pure malice. Speaking of hatchlings.”**

Sigurd’s head automatically snapped back up as Ívarr addressed the issue. **“Sigurd, as my second-in-command, you know why the rules are the way they are and I am honestly disappointed in you. This rule breaking is something I expected of Hjálmarr, should he had ever caught the attention of any decent female.”** Despite the tension in the air, the friends cast each other silent, amused, looks. **“Not from you or Njörðr. I will let this slide once, but do not disobey me again.”**

**“I understand, sir,”** Sigurd replied. They continued flying in silence for a while before curiosity finally compelled the almost parent to ask, **“Sir, would you truly have killed my hatchlings had we continued to disobey you?”**

Island west of Colony

Just before the dawn, the four travelers personally greeted the sunrise as they prepared for the day’s unknowns. They had begun eating breakfast when the three Night Furies entered their views, the sun crested over a small mountain in the distance. 

The two dragons rose first, able to see the approaching figures clearer and scouting for any hostility, while the humans stood up only moments later. The humans had packed away any common items that might be misinterpreted as weapons before they went to sleep and had inspected themselves again upon awakening. During that time, Åsmund remembered that the mark Razor gave him was still hidden behind his gauntlet and wrist guard.  Åsmund had enlisted Hiccup to remove those pieces from his right hand so he could reveal to the Night Furies his mark when the time came.

The trio of Night Furies landed gracefully, regarding their surroundings with alert eyes, and strolled closer to the camp. Finding themselves in no danger of an attack or any type of ambush, they sat down and regarded the four with both caution and a bit of eagerness. 

**“I take it you four are well rested and ready to explain everything in greater detail?”**   Ívarr calmly stated as his greeting, focusing on Åsmund. 

Åsmund nodded and then pointed to Hiccup, saying, “As I told you yesterday, he is the human companion of Toothless, and can only understand Toothless and my Razor.  I will have to translate everything you and your subjects say for him.” 

The three cocked their heads in slight bewilderment until Åsmund brought his right hand to their attention, showing them the symbol on his palm. “This here is a gift from Razor, given on the night after we ended the war between the Dragons and Humans on my island; she put her power through my body and gave me the ability to understand most dragons, and provided me with most of the history of dragons as well,” he started, allowing the three to stare and sniff the palm.

“This is why I can understand you all, but for Hiccup it’s different.  He helped Razor save Toothless from being corrupted by darkness. To defend him against it, they had to enter into Toothless’s mind to fight it.  Due to that he is able to understand the two of them, but no other dragons.  That’s how I can understand dragons to all of you, since I forgot to mention it yesterday when I gave all of you a very short version of everything.”

Ívarr smelled the mark more, feeling a type magic emitting from it.  He recognized the sensation as Elemental magic, very much like the kind that the Earth Fury sent out when he was reborn and began attacking at the old colony. _However, this magic is more contained and was casted deliberately with care. I do not recall what the legends specified about Soothers and an Elemental Furies reactions towards them, although since the idea seemed so farfetched it is possible no mention to this type of action was ever given._   **“Alright, that is one curiosity explained although it has sparked another. I would like to have the full events of this ‘corruption’ and the extent and implications of your friend understanding dragons.  First though,”** Ívarr looked over towards Toothless, **“you and I need to have a discussion between us only.  I have questions about your mate, Razor, and am now interested in hearing how she and your human saved you from this darkness.”**  

Åsmund quickly translated for Hiccup and the young chief looked up at Ívarr, saying, “In all honesty, Sir, why can’t he simply answer them here? We all know what you plan on asking and, Hel, I’d be the only one that wouldn’t be able to understand what you are asking him anyway.” 

Ívarr grunted at Hiccup’s words, but did understand the futility about trying to keep everything private. Nodding in slight defeat, Ívarr asked, **“Toothless, I have quite a few questions, but I will start one.  Why do I sense the powers of a Sea King emanating from you? From what I can tell, this is not something you were born with and is fairly fresh.”**  

**“A couple months ago, I challenged a Sea King that was attacking my home to protect those I care for, and defeated it. Immediately after, I became the Alpha of a flock of various dragon species at Berk,”** Toothless said to Ívarr with a bit of authority. **“With that, I was given the ability to nudge and even fully control other dragons’ wills to my own, whether they wished to or not. Despite this power, however, I don’t bend other dragons to my will. If I desired, I can put pressure on them to follow, but I’m not going to completely take control of a dragon for my own purposes.  I was actually shocked when I first met Razor, as she claims to have never even budged or felt it upon our first interaction.”**

Ívarr regarded Razor with a puzzled look at this information. The female simply answered with, **“Being an Elemental Fury allows me to not be influenced by an Alpha command. Imagine if, somehow, an evil Sea King or Queen got control of me before I was soothed, it would definitely not be good. True, an un-Soothed Elemental Fury by itself is nothing pleasant, but at least they do not have outside loyalties.”**

Hiccup listened to the parts he could hear and then whispered to Åsmund what he had interpreted so far, earning a ‘correct’ nod from Åsmund. 

Keeping his expression neutral at the mention of an un-Soothed Elemental Fury, Ívarr moved on. **“Alright, my next question is probably more directed for both you and Razor.”** He suddenly appeared a bit uncomfortable, implying it was something deeply personal even among dragons. **“Why did you two become mates?”**  

Åsmund nearly moved forward to say something, uncomfortable with Ívarr’s reasoning for asking something of that nature, but was halted by Toothless. Toothless looked at Razor and smiled, looking back at Ívarr, answering, **“To really explain that, we need to talk about the past. When we first met, we had no idea that we were from the same Night Fury colony and were very close back then. In the past, I lay dying but Razor managed to save me.  She made a deal with the gods that in exchange for my life, she would become their Elemental Fury of Fire. I was taken away not too long afterwards. While she was in my mind, saving me from that corrupting darkness, we found out about our past together. As she recovered, we grew closer together and before she left on this journey to find the last Elemental Fury and Soothers, I claimed her so that we can be together before the final fight, and afterwards if we win.”**  

Ívarr glanced between the two as Toothless recounted the events and noticed Razor’s body language.  She displayed quiet embarrassment, evident through the small movements of her tail as she moved towards Toothless for reassurance, the way she turned her head slightly as if wanting to put her head into the crock of his neck, and the subtle movements of Toothless’s wing extending towards her.  All of that, along with the wistful tone Toothless utilized in his retelling, spoke volumes about the depth of care they had for each other as true mates, not acting out as a ploy.

_An Elemental Fury capable of love and gentleness, now I have truly heard and seen it all. What sort of ‘final fight’ approaches that can completely upturn everything I know about Elemental Furies?_ **“Okay, last question. This corruption she saved you from, what or who caused it?”**  

His question elicited a cringe reaction from the three that understood him. Hiccup studied their reactions and immediately knew what Ívarr had asked. Even without knowing the exact words, the mention of the event still sent chills of uneasiness down his spine. The two dragons turned and looked at Åsmund, who simply waved his hand in a ‘get on with it’ gesture. The Berk chief was not the only human who still felt phantom sensations at the memory of that day.

The dragons silently asked each other who would speak with their eyes, with Razor ultimately deciding she would explain everything that had happened. **“Hel and Loki, well, mostly Hel at that time.  Hel first targeted Åsmund, although I managed to save as well, and then shortly went after Toothless. Even though it was she who physically, or mentally you could say, attacked us, Loki is the ultimate power behind those assaults.”**  

Ívarr began realizing how much had been glossed over yesterday, and how severe it could mean if he continued to not know what was happening. He brought his paw up to his chin and scratched at it as if in thought. **“Alright, that’s all I wanted to know right now from Toothless and Razor.  Åsmund, you mentioned needing to find the soothers and said there is one in the colony. Explain how you can feel it?”** Ívarr directed towards Åsmund.

The human in question stepped forward a little, answering, “Soothers have a natural ability to find other ones like them for the other Elemental Furies. As a human, it is harder for me to find them, but a Dragon Soother has a lot easier time doing so. The training with the Sea King and Dragon Queen on my island, however, managed to enhance my natural ability. I still have trouble sometimes, but not very frequently.” 

_Well this certainly influences my decision. As much as I hate to allow it, Åsmund has to come into the colony to find the Soother,_ Ívarr thought as he looked at Åsmund. _If what these dragons and humans say is true, then maybe the Colony can move on without fear hanging over our heads. If this is all lies though, then may forgiveness find me one day._

Taking a deep breath, Ívarr met the questioning looks of Sigurd and Hjálmarr with his usual gaze of confidence. Hopefully, no dragon or human could see the nervousness in his eyes or posture. **“So far, everything you four have said goes against much of what I have been taught. However, I will be a fool to casually dismiss your words after witnessing everything before me. With that, I will allow you two humans entrance into the Colony, but not the dragons.  I don’t need an Elemental Fury or a Night Fury with Alpha command powers entering into my colony,”** he stated. Sigurd and Hjálmarr exchanged waiting looks towards each other as the leader added, **“Since I am granting you two access to something very sacred and important, I must insist we remain in peace with one another. Åsmund, what will you offer that assures me your intentions are purely well-intentioned?”**  

Åsmund gazed up at Ívarr, then turned to look at the trio behind him. They had correctly predicted this outcome and could no longer afford to second guess their options. This was a chance they had to take with great caution and concern.

He returned his gaze to the Alpha Night Fury in front of him, answering with their practiced speech. “Hiccup and I will be accepting your welcome and will remove all of our armor, except for this one around my broke wrist if you do not mind.” Ívarr gestured that he didn’t, so Åsmund continued. “We will not bring any weapons and offer to blindfold ourselves on the flight there and will remain so until we are fully inside your hidden colony. We will only spend the day light hours in the colony and, if it pleases you, will have Sigurd escort while inside the colony so you can have eyes on us.” 

He and Hiccup gazed directly into Ívarr’s eyes and then knelt down with lowered heads, displaying their respect. “Is that satisfactory for you Ívarr, Alpha of the Hidden Night Fury colony?” 

Ívarr, still regarding them with a measured look, merely nodded, saying, **“Your conditions are satisfactory. Prepare to leave shortly.”**


	10. Search for the Soother Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the deal made Åsmund and Hiccup prepare to head forward into the unknown Night Fury colony in search of the soother. With their trip be uneventful or will chaos and calamity ensue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own the “How to Train Your Dragon” Movies, Animated Series or Book series. Those characters belong to DreamWorks Animation and Cressida Cowell. My original characters are mine and if you wish to use him please ask me first. The plot is all that I claim

_Words typed like this are thoughts in their head_  
Words like this are scenes/locations where it is occurring  
**Words typed like this is Dragonese**

Search for the Soother

Island west of Colony

Åsmund and Hiccup simultaneously rose up from their kneeling positions. Taking the lead once again, Åsmund explained in a sharp but calm voice, “We’ll be ready shortly. Just give Hiccup and I a few moments to disarm and say goodbye to our dragons.” 

Ívarr and the pair of friends moved back to await the two humans, keeping an eye on the group without appearing too noticeable.  Åsmund helped remove Hiccup’s flight suit and then each human bade their dragons a short, but tense, farewell.  Once they were ready, Åsmund and Hiccup walked over to the trio, their faces sporting identical looks of puzzlement. 

Hiccup asked for them. “So I know that we’re flying there, but how?  Personally, I would rather not be carried away like some sort of kill.” He let out a nervous smile, lightly shrugging his shoulders. “If it’s alright with all of you, may we ride on your backs?” 

Ívarr directed his gaze towards Sigurd and Hjálmarr, leaving the decision up to them. Sigurd nodded, albeit with an air of reluctance, and looked over to his friend. Hjálmarr did not quickly respond, and his eyes sparked in the way that foreshadowed an immense protest on the way. Not in the mood for any delays or Ívarr’s displeasure, Sigurd snarled at him. The oddly colored Night Fury appeared a bit startled at his companion’s reaction but nodded in agreement as well, passing a silent look that the two of them would discuss more on the matter later.

The humans and Ívarr watched them in silence and when the dragons lowered themselves to the ground, the Colony Alpha gestured to the human pair. Hiccup climbed up on Hjálmarr’s back, smiling in an attempt to dispel some of the dragon’s ill-mood, while Åsmund went on Sigurd’s, tilting their heads in acknowledgement of each other.

Once they were balanced, they reached into their pockets and took out pieces of long, thin cloth. They had made them last night and secured the fabrics over their eyes and tied them snuggly behind their heads. Now blindfolded, they slowly wrapped their arms around the necks of the dragons they were on and nodded that they were ready.

  **“Let’s go you two. With luck and some cooperation, all of this will be over quickly.  Toothless and Razor, I’ll return them just before the Sun Dragon lowers beyond the sea,”** Ívarr announced. He jumped into the air and with only a beat of his wings, passed up the tree lines and waited for the two dragons to join him. Sigurd and Hjálmarr quickly shot up to their leader, eliciting a few surprise shouts from their passengers.

The dragon pair halted for a moment as the humans adjusted themselves to the sudden change. Although Hiccup and Åsmund’s bodies were used to the rapid rise and fall of gravity from their years of flying, the loss of sight to the action sent their minds a small bout of confused panic. The grounded dragons crouched as if to fly up and assist their riders, but the agreement with Ívarr managed to bolt their wings in time.   

**“Are you two well enough to continue?”** Ívarr asked, a trace of worry framing his tone.

“Um, yeah I think we are good now,” Åsmund answered through his deep pants. “We were just a bit startled, that’s all. If you don’t mind, could you go at a slower pace? Flying blindfolded on a bareback dragon is a bit new to the both of us.”

The Alpha passed a look to his subjects, who gave him identical nods of understanding. With that settled, he coursed the group to their destination, creating a reasonable and timely speed for the small entourage.

Razor and Toothless watched their riders fly off until they couldn’t see the figures anymore. Razor laid her head under Toothless’s chin, her mate still gazing at the sky while he wrapped a wing around her in comfort.  They didn’t say anything, both feeling worried for their respected riders. Hoping to dispel some of her nervousness, he gently started licking the top of Razor’s head, moving down from her forehead to the top of her scalp. 

Her ear flaps flicked at the sensations and her breathing began slowing down as her mate’s actions calmed her down.  Her tongue left her mouth and she slowly licked at the underside of his neck in silent thanks, adjusting her position to shuffle closer to him.

Instead of vocalizing her thoughts, she tapped into their link to communicate to him, **_“Tokka, I’m really worried about them.  Please, tell me it will be alright and nothing will happen to them.”_**  

He moved himself so that his forehead pressed against hers in a sign of trust and reassurance. **_“They will be alright. I know they will be Elise and I won’t leave your side until they return.”_**  

She took a deep breath as his words reverberated in her mind.  Her body relaxed as she exhaled and slowly sank to the ground.  Her eyes closed slightly as she spoke out softly into the link, **_“Thank you, I needed that Tokka.”_**  

He moved himself over closer and laid down next to her, keeping his wings around her body in a cover of silent strength and protection.  He gently nuzzled into her side and the two of them began to slumber once again, letting themselves enjoy the comforting presence of the other.

Night Fury Colony Island

Hiccup and Åsmund hung on as tight as they could as they flew to the Colony, doing their best to remain calm and trust their uneasy allies. Neither human tried to fill the time with conversation. Hiccup because he would not to be able to understand any of them without Åsmund’s assistance; Åsmund because he wanted to keep his focus on the Elemental Fury, its Soother, or any tricks their real enemies might spring on them. Instead, they kept quiet and focused on not falling off their dragons’ backs.

Hiccup nearly lost his grip a couple of times but each time his fidgeting to regain his grip caught Hjálmarr’s attention, the dragon reduced his pace just enough that Hiccup could readjust himself. _Good thing Toothless trusted me when we fought Drago’s Alpha at Berk. If I was the one blinded we would have probably crashed into a building, or I would have fallen to the ground and Drago would have most likely laughed._

Thanks to his still healing wrist, Åsmund’s safest and least painless option consisted of pressing his legs tightly against the Night Fury’s. Since he couldn’t lean forward and wrap his arms around Sigurd’s neck, he had to sit up carefully straight while his body adjusted itself in time with the dragon’s movements. His method appeared quite crazy, but Åsmund found the technique growing easier, and even a bit fun.

After some time, both humans felt their respected dragons faintly tense under them, implying they were only a short distance from the Colony. Their assumptions were proven correct when Ívarr warned, **“If I sense you returning here later without expressed permission, I will not be open to any mercy.”** His disinterest in wanting their reassurances notified that he expected them to fully comply, and they let their silence answer how deeply they believed his warning.

Despite the circumstances of their arrival though, Hiccup couldn’t help but feel a wave of excitement wash over him. He had eagerly craved to find and explore a Night Fury colony ever since his and Toothless’ friendship became very deep. True they were limited in their exploration area and would be regarded as threats, but his curiosity never regarded anything as too small. Just a glimpse at how other Night Furies acted and worked with each other would be enough for the moment.

Åsmund, used to meeting with numerous dragon species already, kept his focus on locating and identifying the Earth Fury’s Soother. _I feel us getting closer to the Soother and it is definitely in the colony, but it isn’t moving. Could this one be an item? The Sea King did say a Soother could be creature or object_ _,_ Åsmund thought. His focus remained locked on the feeling and question as they landed. 

“Åsmund, remind me to practice flying like this with Toothless. All of this hanging onto Hjálmarr’s neck in fear for my life is exactly my idea of fun,” Hiccup wisecracked as Hjálmarr settled on the entrance landing, clutching tightly when he felt the dragon purposely land roughly.

Sigurd rolled his eyes at both of their actions as he gestured for his friend to help him and Ívarr move the boulder covering the entrance to the colony. Hjálmarr complied without any issue and the three worked together in opening one of the access points to their home.

Åsmund’s ears perked up at the sound of the rock scraping against the ground, highly curious about this colony and its layout that warrants such extreme caution with its entrances. With the blindfold still on though, he would have to map everything using his other senses. Deciding to break the silence, Åsmund stated to Hiccup, “I think we are done flying, but don’t quote me on that. Although, I think we are not in the colony yet.” 

The three Night Furies finished moving the boulder and while Ívarr and Sigurd moved into the Tunnel, Hjálmarr remained where he was. At the reptiles’ questioning stares, he replied, **“If it is alright with you, Ívarr, I would rather close the entrance and do a quick patrol. I’ve dealt with these humans for as long as I can stand. Any longer with these two and I might do something brash. Threaten me with mundane punishments if that will make you feel better, but I am not taking another step with this thing on my back.”**

Ívarr eyed Hjálmarr closely, trying to decide what to make of the resident troublemaker’s request. Eventually deciding that he would rather deal with two possible surprises instead of three, he answered, **“Hjálmarr, you better be on your best behavior. I do not want to hear any reports about you causing any trouble. When you finish patrolling, use the other entrance to get back into the colony. Sigurd, are you willing to carry both of them around the Colony?”**

Sigurd nodded and Åsmund relayed the change in passage to Hiccup. Hiccup slid off the frowning dragon and wandered forward blindly until he sensed Sigurd bring his tail around in front of him. Hiccup gently touched the tail and trailed his steps along the offered limb. Once he reached the front legs, Sigurd bent down and Hiccup felt around until he brushed against Åsmund’s leg. Åsmund reached out wildly at the contact and when he felt his hand connect with Hiccup’s, his slid it down to the middle of the other man’s arms and helped guide Hiccup to Sigurd’s side. Carefully Hiccup hopped up and swung his leg behind Åsmund, mindful of avoiding hitting the Night Fury’s wings. The Berk chief hissed a bit when Åsmund pulled his arm too far forward but once he was settled, he nodded to the dragons to continue.

Sigurd and Ívarr flashed Hjálmarr one last look before stepping past the boulder into the start of the tunnel. The two of them began pushing the boulder back into its spot while Hjálmarr did the same on his side. When the boulder settled into place, they turned away as they heard the rustle of wings beat outside before silence descended upon them.

As the group of four moved down the tunnel, Ívarr asked Åsmund, **“Still feel the Soother close by Åsmund, or have I risked my Colony’s safety by bringing you two in here?”**  

Åsmund, despite having never lost the Soother’s presence, decided to hold on answering for a few second. After what seemed like a reasonable bit of time, he answered, “I remembering feeling something as we were flying closer but now that we are right next to the Colony, I definitely sense something is here. With any luck, the Soother is inside the colony and it won’t take too long to locate it.” A thought suddenly formed in his mind, “Maybe it would have been best if we had flown around this place instead of coming straight here. I might be able to lead you to the Soother by going completely around the main areas, but it may be quicker if we stop in the center of the colony and work our way out, if that is alright with you.”

Although he could not see Ívarr’s expression, Åsmund knew the Alpha was not pleased with his statements or request. Honestly, Åsmund would have preferred locating the Soother without much interaction with the Colony as well. The quicker he completed this task, the more time he could devote to convincing the Earth Fury to join them for the final battle and establishing a desired truce with Ívarr. Now though, he has to once again hold off his main mission and patiently wait for permission to continue.

**“Remember our agreement, Åsmund,”** Ívarr eventually stated, taking the human by slight surprise. The Alpha’s decision had only taken minutes with minimal protest, not an hour of careful verbal exchanges that had no guarantee of actually swaying his opinion. **“Sigurd, I will lead you to the Colony guards and you will stay with them until I call you three in. If there are any protests, restrain only. I am sure I do not need to say what will happen should you two cause further trouble, right?”**

Having followed Ívarr’s words very closely, Åsmund didn’t hesitate in voicing his agreement. “Don’t worry, Ívarr. We did not come here to cause trouble and we have no intention of starting any.”

Åsmund quietly translated everything to Hiccup and the dragons led them further down the tunnel without another word. Gradually the soft echoes of the dragons’ steps became accompanied by quiet mutterings floating around the tunnel, too soft for Åsmund to distinguish and only sounding like faint growls to Hiccup’s ears. Neither commented on the additional noise and Sigurd kept his vision split between the humans and scanning for any unwanted presences, namely Hjálmarr. His friend might have agreed to be on his best behavior, but that didn’t mean he would fully comply with Ívarr’s orders.

Ívarr halted when the group approached one of the tunnel splits just in time for one of the patrol guards to arrive in view.

The Night Fury nodded in respect to the Alpha but upon catching sight of the humans on Sigurd’s back, he immediately crouched down in defense. Before he could do anything further, Ívarr stated, **“These humans will be searching the Colony for a Soother and once it’s found, will leave right after. To avoid any confusion or injury, either dragon or human, head down and inform the Colony to gather in the main chamber.”**

**“Ívarr, sir,”** the guard started as he slowly stood back, **“is this a wise decision? If the dragons hear that humans are in the Colony, they might panic or-”**

**“I have taken everything into account with this decision. Part of it involves the humans’ safety, which is why I want every dragon in attendance. The sooner they find what they are looking for, the sooner they will leave. If everything goes according to plan, then the Earth Elemental Fury issue might be permanently resolved.”**

At that the guard’s eyes widened but before he could ask, Ívarr gestured for him to rely the message. The Night Fury slightly nodded in acknowledgement and retreated down the tunnel he arrived from. Rather than follow the same path the Alpha continued through another tunnel, this one possessing a gentle slope.

Sigurd followed along silently, the humans not as silent as Åsmund explained what had happened to Hiccup, and found himself tensing up when the Colony residents raised their voices in confusion when the news of the humans and Ívarr’s orders reached their ears. The voices gradually increased in volume as they kept walking down their tunnel.

Once again the tunnel split and Ívarr turned to address him. **“Wait here until I begin explaining what is happening. I want to make sure every dragon is here and listening before you three go any further. Åsmund, how long will you need to order to search?”**

“The Soother is close and if I can get to the middle of the Colony, then finding it will not take long at all in finding in, Ívarr. Thank you for trusting us this far.”

Ívarr didn’t reply to the human’s last sentence and as he started trekking into one of the tunnels, he said something that sent the human and Sigurd into near shock. **“Once you three reach the main area, you may remove your eye coverings.”** He did not add anything to that and once his offer fully sunk into Åsmund’s mind, he was already out of sight.

Hiccup must have sensed his friend’s shock, because he asked, “Åsmund, what did Ívarr say?” The other man numbly relayed the last conversation, sending Hiccup into shocked confusion as well.

Sigurd, recovering first, stated, **“I am beginning to disbelieve my mate’s assurance that you do not possess any magic, Åsmund. What else will explain why my Alpha is allowing you two sight of our Colony’s layout?”**

“Honestly, Sigurd, I am starting to wonder that myself,” Åsmund relented, quickly translating Sigurd’s statements into the language Hiccup understood. The other did not say anything at first, but a few seconds later, Hiccup offered jokingly, “Maybe he thinks the Earth Elemental Fury will kill us before we have a chance to tell anyone else. I don’t know about you, but I do not think Valhalla or Folkvangr has anything like dragon mail.”

“And Thor’s goats will probably eat the message right out of hands,” Hiccup finished with a solemn nod, usually reserved for consent when dealing with important village issues.

Two heartbeats later the men burst out into soft laughter while Sigurd tried to ignore them, holding back his own chuckle at the mental images. Their good humor quickly sobered when they heard a deep growl cut through the dragon chatter their ears had grown accustomed to. They straightened themselves up and when Sigurd heard Ívarr begin, he turned down the tunnel his Alpha did not take, this one sloping up at a high angle.

The humans remained quiet as Sigurd lead them upward and Ívarr’s muffled words/ growls seemed to project from the base of the tunnel. Their upward path gradually flattened and with each step Sigurd took, they felt a slight nip tickle the air. Eventually, the tickle turned chillier and the pair knew they were close to the center of the colony.

When the cold reached its maximum bite, Sigurd halted and whispered, **“Take your blindfolds off and stay quiet.”**

Åsmund relayed the statement to Hiccup as he took off his blindfold. The light slightly stung his eyes and after a few slow blinks, he allowed a small gasp of amazement to escape once he took sight of the Colony and their home.


	11. Yggdrasil shows the way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally inside the colony, the duo begin their search for the Soother. But Asmund feels something more than just the soother when they head towards it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own the "How to Train Your Dragon" Movies, Animated Series or Book series. Those characters belong to DreamWorks Animation and Cressida Cowell. My original characters are mine and if you wish to use him please ask me first.
> 
> This will be unfortunately my only posting for most of this month. I'm moving and life will have me busy for most of June, but don't worry, you get a double dose of EFS this post. That is right, two chapters today, but unfortunately that means 4 weeks without EFS after today :( Hope you enjoy the craziness that will be happening in these two chapters. This also goes for any of my other stories. Nothing is canceled, just temporarily put on hold.

Notes on how my writing style will be below:

_Words typed like this are thoughts in their head_  
Words like this are scenes/locations where it is occurring  
**Words typed like this is Dragonese**

* * *

Night Fury Colony

Hearing his companion's quiet gasps, Hiccup quickly unwound the knot holding his blindfold and hissed when the light attacked his eyes. Blinking to regain focus, his mouth gaped open as he immediately noticed the ice ceiling above their heads. The formation greatly reminded him of the Sanctuary where he found his mother and he couldn't hold back a smile at remembering how tranquil it looked when the Sanctuary dragons flew below it.

Looking around, the cavern appeared like it had been gouged out, although its shape did open itself to the possibility that it could have been a valley before it became this sanctuary for the Night Furies. His gaze kept darting to different places around the rest of the enclosure before settling downwards on the Night Furies resting down below him.

Mentally adding the count in his head, Hiccup let out a large smile upon realizing the number went past his hands and toes. _After all this time, another whole Night Fury colony. What Fishlegs wouldn't give study them. Astrid would probably challenge a few of them to a race. I bet mom would think of this like home, well, her third home at least._

His mother's initial speculation that Toothless could be the last Night Fury still left a pang of uneasiness whenever Hiccup thought about it too much. Now that there was proof that her speculations were wrong, he found his joy only elevating. Although this colony's number was not very high compared to other dragon species he has come across, it still greatly pleased him in knowing that Toothless had at least some 'relatives' out there.

Just like Hiccup, Åsmund stared in amazement at the colony below them and the cavern system they called home. Razor and his travels often took them to interesting places, but that never kept him from appreciating each location's beauty and system.

Despite the marvels however, the man's amazement dampened into worry. _Ívarr and the others kept mentioning their colony population is a fraction of what it was before the Earth Fury was born._ _I wonder how_ _much bigger_ _this colony_ _was_ _prior to the birth of the Earth Fury._ _Sometimes I_ _wonder if the Elemental Furies are a form of_ _population_ _control for the Night Furies so there aren't too many of them in an area._ _It's unfortunate though that it would take such violent means to do so._

Deciding to move those kinds of thoughts away, his mind quickly drifted back to the task at hand and he focused his attention on locating the Soother. Shutting his eyes, he cast out his senses and smiled when the energy from the Soother called out its location to him.

"Sigurd," he whispered. "Head out that way." Placing his hand purposefully on the side of the dragon's next and using his index finger to point out the direction, the Night Fury tilted his head in acknowledgment and glided quickly over to the needed tunnel.

As they passed over the colony, a sudden sting shot through Åsmund. Biting back a scream, his face cringed as the sting morphed into pain and he felt Hiccup carefully lay a hand on his shoulder. He tried to flash his friend a reassuring look, but a hurtful energy surged into his mind before the action could take place.

"Sigurd, land now please!" Hiccup hissed, working on keeping his voice from echoing. The Night Fury shot a quick look behind him and upon noticing the Berkian's worry and the pain in the other's face, allowed himself a small boost of speed. He managed to disappear from view just as a few of the Night Furies down below stole a glance above them.

Once Sigurd's paws landed on the ground less than a second later, Åsmund collapsed off of him and laid his shaking hands against his temples.

"Åsmund, what's wrong? Tell me what you are feeling?" Hiccup questioned as he swung off the dragon and crouched beside him. He kept a breathable distance away from his friend and did not try to hide his concern.

Sigurd looked between the pair and the direction from where they came, waiting to see if any dragon saw them and investigate. When nothing came up and the air remained silent safe for the rumble of Ívarr's address, he turned away but lifted up both his wings to cover them from outside view. Like Hiccup, he remained a careful distance away from the still shaking Åsmund.

Images rapidly shot through Åsmund's mind, causing him to let out a small groan of pain at the onslaught. As if he was viewing everything from the memories of someone else, he heard a few Night Furies in a colony suddenly let out shrieks of alarm. Turning to face the sound, a monstrous creature roared from somewhere near the group and he found himself being pushed around as the dragons moved away from the dangerous intruder. A few darted toward the figure in an attempt to steer it away from the main group, their mouths spewing out gases in preparation for an attack.

Before any of them could fire, a seemingly large paw swept across most of his vision, tossing aside black blurs covered in bright red. Everything grew still for a breath, the only sounds coming from the impact of the Night Furies' bodies slamming down onto the ground and the small drops of crimson. Whether every dragon around him had frozen as well or his body was just paralyzed in shock he did not know for sure. What he did know was that in one moment the creature remained a crouching figure and the next, mass panic. Other dragons tried fighting off the monster to buy time for the rest of the colony to escape, but they quickly became covered in red.

In the next few moments, time seemed to flash forward and trudge slowly all at once. He kept seeing bodies dropping, crimson spraying from fallen Night Furies, many trying to flee but keeping caught in the attacks. Something to the side of him gave him a hard push and he ended up getting knocked aside just as the dark figure let out a high blast of energy. Had he still been standing in that spot, he would not have survived.

At some point the massacre was replaced with the wide, thankfully blue color of the ocean as he beat his sore wings in time with the others. Many sported injuries and appeared in deep shock as their eyes blindly focused on following each other. He saw one dragon's wings stop and its body dropped out of the sky. There was a resounding splash, but nothing else followed.

Looking ahead he saw a figure leading them all away, a red liquid trailing down the tail and falling into the water. There seemed to be something wrong with their wing, because it kept flapping at an unflattering angle and letting out quiet moans of pain. Beside him, he heard some dragon quietly whisper, " **What… What happened? What was that** _ **thing**_ **? How did it find us?** "

No one raised any answers at first, their confusion equally matching the speaker's as did the fearful look they cast behind them. A few seconds later, the leading figure responded, " **If the rumors I have heard are true, then that was an Elemental Fury, the Earth one if its coloring is anything to go by. For now, though, do not turn back, do not think about it. Just keep flying until we find safety."**

" **There is probably no place safe from that** _ **thing**_ **,"** a comment mentioned, causing a heavy silence to descend on the remaining colony members.

Feelings turned numbed for a while and at some point his mind must have blanked out because the next thing he knew, his paws were landing on something cold. **"This is where we will start anew. This is where we will rebuild and grow."**

Time quickly became measured in images that flashed through his mind, seeing the survivors set up a defense in their new home and healing themselves. He believed he saw a few bodies not move, but they quickly became replaced with more images of building and growing.

The Alpha, as his mind provided when time kept moving on, oversaw to everything and despite their own horrid injuries, would not allow any other dragon to suffer. There were strong members who took on the task of bringing food to everyone, elderly dragons who managed to survive did their best to comfort the few hatchlings that were constantly remembering they were mostly orphans.

Slowly though, every dragons' injuries disappeared and smiles began appearing on their faces once again. The old quietly passed on, much deserving of a peaceful sleep as their end, and the young did their best to make the cavern their new home. Along with their healing came anger whispers, sleepless nights spent crying, and warnings told to every dragon at night that should the Earth Elemental Fury ever find them, they would not survive a second time.

The fear lasted part way into the next generation, where the telling of the stories were considered sacred to the safety of every dragon. Although the later generations understood their elders' fears, another emotion took root: burning hatred. With every mention of the Elemental Fury, wise fear became accompanied with intense rage at what the monster had done to them. Should any of them ever have the chance, none would hesitate in ending the life of the Fury that had slaughtered countless others.

As the last moments faded, Åsmund slowly pushed himself up onto a knee and immediately twirled his head in a dazed panic. Hiccup carefully made himself appear in the other man's vision and a second later, the Chief felt a tight hand grab hold of his arm. Åsmund remained silent, so Hiccup softly coaxed, "Åsmund, what's wrong? Is there anything I can do? Anything?"

"W-W-Wh-Where a-are…"

"We are at the Night Fury colony. Ívarr said we could find the Soother. Sigurd was taking us across the Colony under the ice roof when you suddenly went into a panic." Slowly, Hiccup laid the hand not on the arm being grabbed and gently pressed his fingers against Åsmund's forehead. "Whatever you were seeing, it did not happen just now. We are alone, and Sigurd is watching over us."

Åsmund took several deep breaths but didn't retract his hand, although his grip did lessen as did the pulse pounding in his chest. His eyes stopped shaking as he mumbled, "I… I'm sorry. It's just… I know I have some ability to read residual energies but that… I was not expecting any of that. The hatred and animosity towards the Elemental Furies, along with the fear… there was too much at once. These energies are old, but not faded. They have been here probably since the colony moved here."

He fully released Hiccup's arm and wiped at his eyes, slowly getting up as the images and emotions faded from his mind. His leg let out a small twitch and he would have crashed onto the ground had Hiccup not quickly caught him, putting most of Åsmund's on his right side and turning the man's head away from him so he could continue taking deep breaths.

Behind them, Sigurd withdrew his wings and gave him a sympathetic look as Åsmund tried to regain control over himself. After a few moments, the large Night Fury asked, **"** **Are you able to sense any energy you come across** **?"**

Åsmund carefully shifted his weight back onto his legs and slowly opened his eyes. "Only energies of significant importance in certain places," he admitted, his tone strained. He looked back at Hiccup and attempted a small smile, saying, "I learned how to become receptive to energies during my travels and can read certain ones. When Razor and I went to Berk we explored your cove back home, Hiccup, and I felt the energies of how you and Toothless bonded together. Those energies, although slightly stained from earlier mistrust, were very strong and pure, reminding me strongly of the first time Razor and I met ourselves."

He gave off a slight push and once he felt his balance, gently moved away from Hiccup as he continued speaking, a strain of pain evident in the edge of his voice, "Here though, the hatred, contempt, disdain, anger and pain the survivors felt is still quite strong. Where we are at right now though, it is more faded. It is probably because the ice roof we flew under is where the survivors first landed after escaping from the Earth Elemental Fury."

" **We did warn you that Elemental Furies are not well thought of around here,"** Sigurd commented, allowing a trace of concern to be evident in his voice. **"There are still survivors alive, and they never look up when they are in that part of the chamber. A superstitious fear that if the ice roof breaks, or even cracks, the Fury will find them and finish what it started all those years ago."**

With the memories of that day now filtering through his mind, Åsmund felt an unconscious shiver snake down his body. The action caught Hiccup's attention but upon reading the human and dragon's expressions, knew it would be cruel to ask for a direct translation. Gradually, the man's breathing slowed and he gestured that he was ready to resume their search.

Sigurd's expression did not display what he was feeling, although his next statements were spoken with a softer tone, **"We'll go on foot from here on out** **, then,** **or do you need** **another** **minute,** **Åsmund** **?"**

Åsmund rubbed his right temple slightly before looking around to access his bearings. "The Soother is somewhere close to us. We can keep going and-"

"No, Åsmund," Hiccup interrupted, his gaze serious. "If it really is close than we can spare another few minutes for you to recover. Yes, I know our time is limited here, but finding the Soother won't be worth it if it leads to you being injured because you were off-guard. Think how guilty Razor will feel if we return with your other hand hanging on by a bone."

Any added protest Åsmund prepared on the tip of his tongue, instantly tied when Sigurd suddenly sat down, his wings extended out in a gesture that he would prefer for the two humans to remain where they were. Although both men looked at him with equal shock, Hiccup recovered first and did not bother to hold back a grin. "Two to one. Looks like we are staying here for a few more minutes."

Without another word, Hiccup bent down and began inspecting his leg to make sure the bareback riding did not jostle anything out of place. Sigurd gave Åsmund a pointed stare and seconds later, the traveler let out a deep sigh and sat down as well.

A part of him desired his body to walk off and prove to the two that his emotions were under control. Another part felt touched that the pair cared deeply about him. And there was a tiny part that was still processing the memories and rejoiced at the given chance to study and store what he had experience.

As a stable silence fell over them and the images were being properly analyzed and taken care of, Åsmund wondered if he could pinpoint Ívarr in them. This unexpected action had given him a strong understanding of the Alpha's pain, but he wanted to know what had ignited such passionate hatred. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and willed is mind to try and find what he was seeking. The memories of the images began stitching themselves into a coherent memory, and his answer nearly sent him into another panic as the emotions returned to his senses.

He saw Ívarr as a small hatchling, and managed to catch a quick glimpse of wide, wonder filled eyes before the sight of the dark creature cast a shadow over them. Like before, the time between everything shifted and his next vision of Ívarr was him attempting to rouse his dying mother where she laid motionless on the ground. The creature stalked behind him, but the young hatching's fear left him so paralyzed he could only watch as it lifted up its bloody paw in preparation of a powerful swat. The attack happened but instead of Ívarr receiving the impact, the image displayed the alpha of the colony at the time defending the young one with their body instead. Images jumped again to reveal Ívarr landed along with the rest of the survivors, his shock lasting a few seconds shifting to chirps resembling pained cries. Any visuals of Ívarr halted at that point, but Åsmund had seen more than he had ever wanted to see.

_The pain he has towards_ _Elemental Furies_ _runs deep into his soul, and_ _I cannot fault him at all. If I can feel this much agony from old energies, then I cannot even comprehend how deep it must have felt as it all unfolded. These memories more than explain why he acts the way he does to this day_ _. Ívarr may_ _have changed his mind about Razor and Toothless_ _, but I doubt he will_ _ever_ _be_ _at_ _the point where he could fully trust any Elemental Fury,_ Åsmund thought, his head ceasing its intense throbbing now that he no longer wished to view the memories.

Moments later, his breathing returned to normal and he nodded to his companions. "Alright, I'm feeling much better now. Can we now continue on?"

His human friend cast him a quick glance, and let out a soft nod when he noticed Åsmund's more controlled breathing and lack of great sway. Sigurd did not say anything as he rose back to his feet, but did offer a whispered, " **I am glad you are feeling better."**

"Which way to the Soother?" Hiccup asked out loud.

Åsmund pointed out its direction and turned to Sigurd for confirmation that they could continue. Upon receiving that, the trio retreated further down the tunnel. Hiccup walked along side Åsmund, offering him assistance whenever it appeared the other required it, while Sigurd trailed behind them. They kept at a slow pace to make sure Åsmund didn't experience any more problems.

About an hour later, their path led them to a small ledge and the human pair gazed down into the small canyon as multiple holes in the walls greeted their sights. The dragon suddenly let out a strange expression as he asked, **"Are you sure it's in this area, Åsmund?"**

When Åsmund checked for the Soother's energy, he felt its pull nearby and replied, "Yes it is. The Soother is somewhere down there."

Sigurd's expression shifted to slight panic, but he motioned for them to continue down anyway, despite the humans' obvious question regarding his actions. The trio moved into the canyon and when they touched flatter ground, the dragon guide's posture immediately turned defensive. Unknown to Åsmund and Hiccup, the inhabitants in this part of the Colony were not meant to be taken lightly. Sigurd cautiously scented the air, speculating if any of the residents had decided to stay behind rather than follow Ívarr's orders for every dragon to meet. Unfortunately, the scent of the residents flooded his nose too much for him to find out.

_By now, the others will probably be_ _returning to their places._ _Ívarr_ _can only say so much_ _to the colony about the events of these past couple days_ _before he runs out of words to say_ _. As soon as we find this Soother, we need to get out._ _I am in no mood to deal with these ram headed residents and their disrespect. Why Ívarr allows them to remain here and threaten any dragon who just glances at them is beyond me._

He kept a cautious eye around them as the two humans continued moving forward, unaware how much danger they could be in should they waste too much time here. Already he was preparing for a confrontation and wondering if he should even care what the other Night Furies would think if they saw him defending the two humans. Of course, it's more than likely he would have to call for Ívarr in order to halt any attack aimed at the three of them to avoid grave injury.

While Sigurd remained silently vigilant, Åsmund kept his senses out for the Soother and Hiccup carefully navigated the two of them over the rocky terrain when the other man began to become less focused on his surroundings. When they passed a cave Åsmund quickly stopped in his tracks, earning curious looks from the other two. He turned around and moved towards the entrance of the small cave, immediately noticing something in the back. As if responding to the attention, the object let out a burst of energy and called out to Åsmund.

"It's here," he stated, a smile creeping across his face. "The Soother is in the back of this cave." Before either companion could respond, he darted into the cave.

"Åsmund!" Hiccup hissed, following the other man in less than a moment after.

The moment Sigurd realized what had happened, he let out a silent stream of curses. _Those fools! Don't they know any better than to enter a dragon's home without permission! Sun and Moon, how have they even survived this long?!_

Inside the dimly light the cave, Åsmund frantically searched the entire floor while Hiccup stood behind his back, saying, "Did you really have to rush in here without giving us a bit of warning? Gods, I am surprised you haven't caused a Razor a heart attack by now!"

"Oh come on now, Hiccup," Åsmund retaliated, joy evident in his tone. "Like you haven't done anything Toothless would find dangerous and stupid as well."

The Berkian wisely kept silent at the comment and focused on finding the Soother as well. As his eyes scanned around, he caught sight of something out of place laying on the floor. "On your left," he called to Åsmund, who followed the direction and immediately shuffled closer to the area. Crouching down, he carefully ghosted his hand over the dark object and carefully transferred it into his hand. His initial sense of touch identified it as some type of small figurine but without a proper light, he could not really distinguish what it was.

"Is that it?" Hiccup asked upon noticing his companion's stillness.

Taking in a quick breath, Åsmund sensitized his mind and let out a quiet laugh as he confirmed, "Yeah, this is it. This is the Earth Fury's Soother. Let's head back out so we can see what it is."

From outside the cave, Sigurd continued surveying the system and when he heard the familiar footsteps heading his way, he let out a quiet breath of relief. _At least they won't be trapped in there when the others come, though I really wish they would hurry up!_

Moments later, the pair stepped into the much wider area and gave Sigurd identical looks of conquest. For his part, he remained stoic to their expressions. **"Now what is this thing that is so important you two have to go and abandon all sense for?"** In reply, Åsmund extended his arm so they could all see and opened his hand.

Laying in the middle of his palm was, as he guessed, laid a small figurine carved from what felt like Ash wood. Coincidentally, or most likely not, the Ash had been carved into the shape of a highly familiar and important tree to the trio. Yggdrasil, or the World Tree, where all current life and past last life in existence resided.

The figurine was too small to include many details, so the carver settled on a general image. The Tree's trunk displayed faint outlines of branches and in between them were indistinct shapes that most likely were meant to resemble the realms. Nesting at the top stood the eagle, its body nearly hidden by the semblance of leaves surrounding its body. At the bottom of the Tree, the Serpent Nidhogg's body enveloped around the roots and its mouth remained open as it gnawed at one of the roots.

While the humans were able to make out most of the carving, Sigurd's sharp eyes caught something they couldn't immediately tell. **"The carver must have been very skilled."** Noticing Åsmund's questioning gaze, the dragon elaborated, **"Feel atop the eagle's head, right between its eyes."**

The man quickly translated to Hiccup as he did as instructed. When he found the source of the dragon's admiration, he smiled wider and pointed it out to Hiccup. Above the mark where his finger rested, sat Veðrfölnir the hawk, staring out with its larger kin in between the eagle's eyes. "That's amazing," Hiccup whispered, running his finger down the Tree's trunk to see what else they might have missed. An answer came a second later when he traced the outline and commented, "Looks like they even managed to carve in Ratatoskr."

Åsmund nodded in agreement, transfixed by both the figurine and the Soother power emanating from within it. When it appeared there were no other little marvels to be found, he let his thoughts trail as they usually did. _The world tree Yggdrasil,_ _quite_ _befitting that_ _this duplicate in Ash wood is_ _the Soother of one of the Elemental Furies, most likely the Earth Fury._ _It's_ _also befitting that_ _our mission is_ _to prevent Ragnarök,_ _when the Great Tree will burn and die along with everything else,_ _from happening._

Sigurd's hearing suddenly picked up the noises of wings flapping and some roars originating from the path they arrived from. Unequivocally, Ívarr could no longer stall the colony and the residents were on their way here. **"We need to leave."** The noises sped up, no doubt the residents had scented them and were on their way to deal with the intruders. " **Now** **!** **"**

The Night Fury enclosed his body around the two humans and hastened their climb onto his back using his head to budge them up. When he was partially confident they wouldn't immediately fall off his back, he readied himself to fly off just as the shrill sound of a plasma blasts echoed into the canyon. He darted off to the side and cursed at the dark spot that marked where they had just stood.

Sparing only a moment to roar loudly for Ívarr to know he would need assistance, Sigurd leapt up and sailed toward one of opposite tunnels. **"Hang on!"** he yelled, dodging another blast that came close to knocking his riders off his back. The trio managed to exit the canyon area through the tunnel, a second pair of wings stopping exactly where the tunnel opened.

Sigurd chanced a look behind him and noticed where the Night Fury had backed off. _Thank the Sun Dragon,'_ he breathed, allowing himself a moment to sigh in relief.  _Looks like_ _he was just being territorial._

"Sigurd, watch out!" Hiccup screamed. Sigurd twisted his head to the front to the sight of another Night Fury barreling towards them.


	12. More Deals to be Had

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asmund, Hiccup and Sigurd deal with a new threat while hopefully not coming out too damaged. But at the same time Razor senses the danger, but will she do something she shouldn't?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own the "How to Train Your Dragon" Movies, Animated Series or Book series. Those characters belong to DreamWorks Animation and Cressida Cowell. My original characters are mine and if you wish to use him please ask me first.

_Words typed like this are thoughts in their head_  
Words like this are scenes/locations where it is occurring  
**Words typed like this is Dragonese** **  
Words typed like this are the Mental Link between Razor and Toothless**

* * *

Island West of Night Fury Colony – (Same time as attack against Sigurd)

Razor had harvested fish for the two of them a couple hours ago and once they finished, the couple decided to take advantage of the sun and their solitude. Bellies full and the late morning sun shining warmly on their bodies, they laid out in the sun with Toothless resting his head on top of Razor's. Toothless rested silently, but every now and then his throat let out a deep laugh when Razor's purring intensified for a few seconds.

His repayment bounced back between an annoyed look, a light tail slap, a nudge against his belly, or an unintelligible threat that was given halfheartedly. Despite his teasing, the female Fury took great comfort from his presence, and could tell her mate felt the same way.

Without sound reason, Razor's eyes shot open and her head swiped out from underneath Toothless'. Her gaze locked toward the direction where Åsmund had left with Hiccup and the others and her heart rate began to increase.

" **What's wrong Elise?"** Toothless asked, taking a second to recover from her sudden movement.

" **You ever get that feeling** **that** **your other half is in danger?"** Razor asked, hints of concern and worry audibly clear through her tone.

Toothless followed her gaze and bluntly answered, **"Aye, all the time.** **It used to drive me crazy, but not so much anymore, unless the feeling intensifies.** **"**

He meant his statement to be comforting, but Razor did not seem to catch it. In a flash, Razor lifted her body up and spread her wings, ready to take off and go assist Åsmund despite the agreement they had made hours ago with Ívarr.

Panicking, Toothless pounced up and pinned her down just as her wings began descending. **"** **What in the world do you think you are doing? Are** **you** **really willing** **to start a war with Night Furies just because of a feeling?** **Razor,** **you need to trust** **that he will keep himself safe and that they will all make it back here in the condition they left in."**

For a long moment they simply stared in shock at each other, the severity of the circumstance not opening up any quips about their current positions. In the next moment, Razor's eyes suddenly became bright and her expression scrunched up into obvious anger. Like a string snapping, the Fire Fury suddenly began bucking against her mate in an attempt to throw him off.

A few kicks nearly knocked the breath out of him, but Toothless was not about to let her fly to her ruin without a fight. During the struggle, she lifted her head up and attempted biting him. When that proved unsuccessful to her mission, her claws retracted out more and she alternated between simple punching to deep scratching. Toothless managed to avoid the most serious impacts, but every now and then he felt her teeth brush against his skin.

During all this, he pleaded, " **They will be fine Razor!** **P** **lease-"** Another swipe nearly took out his eye. " **Control your** **emotions!"** More attempts to knock him off were met with similar close calls and although he knew Razor merely wanted to just go and help Åsmund, he could not allow her to fly out and confront the Colony. " **Razor, enough!"** he roared, shocking the both of them.

Panting, he yelled, **"Do you really think you are the only one here who is worried sick about their human?! Do you think I do not care about Hiccup as much simply because I do not go flying off to him every time I become worried?!"** She suddenly started moving again, but Toothless was not done. " **I am telling you: I constantly worry about him! That little human somehow manages to put himself in any danger imaginable but you know what?** **I learned to trust** **that he will call out to me when he needs me,** **and you** **need** **do the same with Åsmund.** **After all this time** **you've been with him, you should** **understand** **this."**

As his words faded around them, her movements once again stilled as she stared up at him with wide eyes. Although her posture implied she had understood what he was telling her, Toothless could tell from the eye hues and the warm energy under him that she had not given up. Most likely seeing that he did not believe her display, Razor began thrashing once again, only this time with a lot more force.

With only one last option, Toothless opened their mental link. _**"Elise, please do not do this.**_ _ **You know**_ _ **I'm not here to hurt you. I'm**_ _ **only**_ _ **help**_ _ **ing**_ _ **you.**_ _ **Think of how Åsmund would react if he saw you right now: out of control, ready to break your word. He trusts you so much, so please, if not for my sake then for his, show that you are worthy of it**_ _ **."**_

Almost immediately, the tension in her body relaxed and her expression softened, as did the intensity of her eye color. Feeling her body temperature shift from blazing to near smoldering, Toothless gently shifted the heavier part of his weight off her body and slowly licked the top of her head. When he was positive Razor was fully Razor once more, he moved completely off of her.

" _ **Thank you Tokka,"**_ she quietly thought, wrapping her wings around her. _ **"I probably would have done something stupid if it weren't for you."**_ The bulk of the elemental power she had tapped into extruded out as extra heat and Toothless moved slightly to the side so she could expel it. Confident that her body would no longer burn him, she shyly unfolded herself and rolled onto her legs.

To his confusion, she made no further motion to rise. Sensing his question, she admitted, " _ **My action**_ _ **s and emotions just**_ _ **now remind me more of**_ _ **the time**_ _ **I defended Åsmund in that first raid.**_ _ **It was the first time since I changed that I desired to protect someone. I know the feeling itself is almost completely the opposite of horrible, but the anger I feel whenever I cannot do anything to keep him safe… Well, it just reminds me of the time I wish I could fully forget.**_ _ **"**_

Understanding dawned in Toothless' mind, reminding him that even though he and Razor were greatly similar, they each went through different experiences since their past lives. Although he remembers living up to his reputation as the "unholy offspring of lightening and death," he cannot recall ever fully losing control of his emotions. Razor, on the other hand, carried that burden, and probably will for the rest of her life.

Choosing his words carefully, he offered, **"I know you** **have been through a lot, Elise, and there are times when everything becomes difficult, but here is something I want you to remember. Your new life may not have such a happy beginning, but that doesn't define who you truly are. It is the rest of your life, what you want to accomplish with it, that decides who you choose to be. I know you** **are still going to worry love, but** **never feel like you are ever alone.** **I'm here in the same situation as you.** **If Åsmund is in trouble then** **Hiccup has to be in danger as well, and** **you know** **that human is the definition of crazy danger.** **Like I said earlier though, I cannot always drop everything and go help him whenever he runs into trouble. Over time, I had to trust that he can handle himself and will come to me when he needs to.** **If you worry every moment of your life about your other half, then you'll** **age right to your death** **. Trust me."** Toothless softly sat down in front of her and compelled her to meet his gaze. As he observed her expression, he let a bit of his concern and slight annoyance display across his features as he added, **"If I acted like you just** **did** **, I'd probably be grey or severely scarred** **at this point** **."**

Razor lowered her gaze to the ground, thinking over his last words along with the look he gave her. _He's right. Åsmund and I are each other's' halves, but part of that also comes with trusting that the other will ask for help when they need it. If Toothless trusts Hiccup to do so, then I can extend that same sentiment to Åsmund_ _._ _Sometimes though,_ _I wonder if finding out who I am and_ _reuniting with_ _Tokka has changed me_ _as much as I thought. Was I this protective even back then? Did I always give into anger so quickly? I know from our past that Tokka and Elise did love each other, but what brought it on? If we are different now, then is what we are feeling really how we see each other, or are they just residual feelings? And what about our past friends? Family? When we didn't come back that day, did they mourn? Oh Odin, why did I insist on going to that volcano and why us?_

Finding her thoughts suddenly wondering about the past, she lifted her head up shyly and asked, **"Tokka** **,** **can we try to search our memories** **for our past selves? I want… no, I need** **to see how things were in our colony before things changed.** **Who were we? Did we share the same friends? Did we have family?** **I want to know more about myself, see my family,** **if I had one. Plus, how did we fall in love with each other? Was is instantaneous, gradual, or did we originally hate each other? I know you said the past does not have to be how we define ourselves, but it would be nice to know anyway."** With the question up in the air, she meekly looked away and tried not to let her worry show.

In front of her, Toothless lowered his head as he thought about it. He will admit, he was curious about his life as Tokka as well. _What did Elise love about Tokka? Did he have any friends that teased him about his crush like I sometimes do with Hiccup when the human tries telling Astrid how he feels about her? Did his family accept her? Did he have a family?_

They sat in understood silence, trying to decide if they wanted their questions answered. Eventually, Toothless smiled meekly at her and nuzzled his head against hers, offering, **"** **These are some serious questions, but ones that can wait. Our past is not going anywhere, but our humans still believe deadly situations are a casual pastime. For now** **, let us focus on our other halves and** **later,** **I'll share what I remember to you.** **Once** **I change** **, who knows what I will remember** **."**

Relieved at his understanding and the possibility of unlocking their past together, she relaxed into his touch. They both purred lovingly together and let their minds shut down to everything but the sensitivity of each other's company.

Night Fury Colony

Taking the risk, Sigurd folded his wings to his body and let them drop below. The other Night Fury could not halt or slow its movement and ended up sailing over the trio's heads. Snapping them back open, he beat his wings strongly in the air and ascended back up. Behind him the other dragon roared out in frustration and turned itself around for another chance to attack.

Sigurd let out muttered curses as he heard the roar and without hesitating, shouted, **"ÍVARR!"**

The sound echoed wildly through the tunnels, swelling in a few places that distorted the sound into a high pitch screech as they streaked down the system. His human passengers let out quiet gasps of pain and Sigurd felt their legs clench tighter around his body to keep themselves from losing their focus. Daring a quick look back, he saw their pursuer shake their head at the pitch as well. Too quickly however, they recovered and once again chasing after them with greater determination.

When Sigurd caught sight of a familiar mark of their systems, he put out another burst of speed just as he heard the attacker gather gas into their mouth. Pressing the tail fins down to the right, he wound around the corner of a new tunnel just as he felt a blast of heat skirt above his tail.

Although he had avoided the dragon's attack, Sigurd still felt something sting him on his side. It was only after he gave himself a quick moment to think that he realized it was Hiccup's metal leg, braced so tightly against his side that the material had pinched a few nerves. He also heard Åsmund let out a muffled cry of pain, probably because Sigurd's sharp turn had jostled his injured hand.

His ears perked up when he heard something heavy collide at the wall of the entrance followed by a loud dragon curse. The heavy beat of wings soon flooded his hearing and Sigurd knew he could not outfly the chaser. _I cannot continue dodging him. Soon, we are either going to reach a dead end or find ourselves surrounded. Ívarr,_ _I need you here now_ _!_

Sigurd roared out his Alpha's name again and began searching for anything he recognized that might help them defend themselves until assistance arrived. Recognizing his surroundings and remembering the layout, he executed another turn into a large cavern. Numerous tunnel entrances caught his eye but instead of taking any of them, he flew towards the ground and landed much rougher than usual.

His charges quietly voiced their discomfort at the landing, but immediately silenced when they heard the now familiar roar of the other Night Fury. The pair slid off the dragon just as they saw the other one emerge from the tunnel, its opened mouth exposing all of the rows of their teeth. When his eyes locked onto the humans, he boomed, **"How dare you take what is mine!"**

Realizing the other dragon's words, Sigurd's eyes widened slightly before scrunching down into anger. **"Yours?! Why do you possess this human trinket?! You know the rules of this Colony!"**

Instead of responding, the other dragon gathered gas into his mouth, accompanied by a signature pitch. Sigurd pressed himself closer to the ground, his mind timing everything down as his tail discreetly wrapping around the humans' waists. When the blast shot out, he leapt up and pulled them back with his tail, managing to completely remove them from the blast range. The momentum when he released them from his hold knocked the pair to the ground, their breathing coming out sporadically as they gazed up at the aggressor.

Their vision of him became obscured as Sigurd slid in front of them, his own plasma blast forming in his mouth. The dragon above noticed the action and immediately did the same. The whole cavern shook with the intensity of their pitches, hurting Åsmund and Hiccup's hearing so much that they threw their hands up to their ears and tightly shut their eyes.

Simultaneously, the grounded dragon and the flying dragon released their blast, causing the air to rapidly rise in heat. Just as the blast almost collided with each other in the center, a third blast shot through the air and overwhelmed the other two blasts. The great influx of heat, power, and light overwhelmed the Night Fury's and they had to look away as the light nearly blinded them.

They turned way as the light suddenly blinked out, quickly followed by a near deafening boom that shook the air and ground the Night Fury's remained in. The small explosion echoed around the humans and dragons for several moments, their visions dark as their ears strained to pick out any other sound besides the continuing echoes booming around them. Gradually, the noise began to dissipate and they found their senses righting themselves back to normal.

Just as silence began to take over, a shout suddenly barked, **"ENOUGH CÁLDARR!"**

Looking towards the source, the humans and dragons saw Ívarr emerge from a tunnel, smoke still floating wispily from the sides of his mouth. The identified dragon, slowly descending onto the ground, his eyes not sparing a glimpse towards the trio he only recently attempted to knock out. None of the other three took notice, however, as they watched Ívarr walk to the edge of the platform from the tunnel and with one great wing beat, launch into the air. In the next blink, his legs smacked the ground and the walls shook at the sudden onslaught of force.

Sparing only a glance to Sigurd and the humans, Ívarr stared down at the other Night Fury, ordering, **"Cáldarr, explain why you attacked these humans after I specifically ordered ever dragon in this colony to not engage. For your sake, the reason better be sound."**

Cáldarr looked over to the subjects in question, his neutral expression hardening. **"As you are aware, Ívarr, I attended your gathering and trusted that my belongings would be safe in my cave. Upon my return, however, the other residents and I caught the scent of intruders in our area. Once we returned, the intruders had been run out but not before entering my cave and stealing something of mine.** **I demand it back now, and I want the humans** **to pay for their trespass** **."** Finished with presenting his case, Cáldarr straightened his posture and although he appeared to display respect, his eyes sent a silent challenge to his Alpha.

Ívarr locked those eyes with his own steeled gaze for a moment, not backing off until his subject's head lowered slightly. Turning his head so that Cáldarr and the trio were in his sights, he asked, **"Åsmund, what did you take from my subject's dwelling?"**

The man lowered his eyes for a moment as he looked at the figurine in his open palm, the appendage displaying slight depressions matching the wood's outline. "The object we had come here for: the Soother."

The Alpha did not say anything at first, looking between the human and Cáldarr. Eventually, he focused on the other dragon and in a pointed tone, asked, **"Cáldarr,** **why do you** **possess** **a human object** **?"**

Cáldarr pushed himself up as he met Ívarr's calculated gaze, already knowing he was beat, and stated, **"** **During one of my flights,** **I sank a ship** **near the edge of the territory. Before it went under, I found that carving and decided to keep it as** **a trophy.** **Despite how it came into my possession, though, it is mine and** **I want it back."**

Ívarr's eyes narrowed into slits as he listened to the admission and once Cáldarr finished, he let out a silent breath. No dragon or human moved, their entire focus on trying to read anything off of Ívarr's mask. As they stood in silence, they suddenly felt numerous eyes watching them. Slowly, Åsmund and Hiccup looked toward the tunnel entrances and saw the colony Night Furies slowly enter the cavern. None of them said a word, and if it wasn't for some of their bright eyes, they would have thought the shadows around them had suddenly come to life.

" **Cáldarr,"** Ívarr started, seeming to not notice that a large audience had gathered around them. **"You acknowledge I am the Alpha of this colony, correct?"** The dragon in question let out a strong nod. **"Do you also acknowledge that disobedience of an Alpha's established rule implies a challenge?"** Once again, Cáldarr nodded, this time with resigned understanding. **"You have broken several colony rules this day, so is in my right to either allow you to challenge my rule, or cast you out from this colony."**

" **I understand and acknowledge that, Ívarr,"** Cáldarr answered, his response accompanied by quiet whispers from the onlookers. **"And I also understand and acknowledge that should I lose the challenge, then death is more than a possible sentence for me."**

Behind Sigurd, Åsmund suddenly went pale and even though Hiccup could not understand what was happening, he could infer from his companion's sudden change in color and the tense atmosphere that something very serious was taking place.

" **I ask you then, Cáldarr, do you wish to challenge me in order to clear away your disobedience, or will you allow me to decide your station in this colony?"**

For the first time since being addressed in this manner, Cáldarr looked straight into Ívarr's eyes and answered calmly, **"I do not desire to challenge you, Ívarr, my Alpha. However, if a punishment will be delivered onto me, I hope** _ **other**_ **members of the colony will see what justice you bring for those who break your rules."** As his sentence ended, he cast a pointed look toward Sigurd and almost immediately, every other dragon did as well.

To his credit, Sigurd did not project any outward emotion as he met their judging stares with a mask of indifference. The mask slightly wavered however when Ívarr replied, **"Your decline of a challenge is accepted and though I would normally not allow members to slander other members in the fashion you just showed, you do present a supported case."** The number of stares increased by one when Ívarr looked to his second-in-command, and the dragon couldn't help but lower his head.

The Alpha turned back to the other dragon. **"In recognition of that, here is my deal to you: relinquish your right to the carving and I will allow your earlier aggressions against the humans and Sigurd to pass. That figurine will serve a greater purpose than as a trinket reminding you of your various conquests over the years. If you still choose that carving, just know that your action may continue to allow Elemental Furies to terrorize colonies like ours. I am sure you know what will be the safest choice to pick, right?"**

" **Yes, sir. I renounce that carving from my possession and you are fit to do with it as you see fit."** Giving Ívarr a respectable bow, Cáldarr spread out his wings and darted up to the entrance his neighbors had emerged from. Without a word, he exited down the tunnel with the other Night Furies following beside and behind him. Gradually, the rest of the colony exited the cavern as well until who remained was Ívarr, Sigurd, and the pair of humans.

Neither Sigurd, Åsmund, nor Hiccup said anything, waiting to hear what Ívarr had to say. After a long moment of silence, he merely stated, **"Take them back, Sigurd, and report back to me as soon as you return. Åsmund, Hiccup, put on your blindfolds before leaving here and should you return without my permission, and with your dragons, I will not hesitate to see you as threats and deal with you as such."**

Before anyone could say anything, Ívarr flew up to one of the entrances and walked out, leaving the trio down in the cavern. Åsmund relayed the information to Hiccup and they both turned to Sigurd, who merely crouched down so the pair could swing onto his back.

Once they were positioned, they retied the cloth around their eyes and Åsmund clutched the figurine tighter in his fist. "Sigurd, we-"

" **Until we leave the colony, I request we do not speak,"** he interrupted, shaking his body to warn the pair that he was about to take off.

With heavy silence, he flew up into the air and darted through the tunnels, ready to dispose of the humans whose expressions displayed equal measures of worry and concern.


	13. Moving Forward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiccup and Asmund return to their dragons and discuss how to move forward from here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own the “How to Train Your Dragon” Movies, Animated Series or Book series. Those characters belong to DreamWorks Animation and Cressida Cowell. My original characters are mine and if you wish to use him please ask me first.

Notes on how my writing style will be below:

_Words typed like this are thoughts in their head_  
Words like this are scenes/locations where it is occurring  
**Words typed like this is Dragonese**

Moving Forward

Night Fury Colony Exit

Sigurd landed softly at the opening of the exit, gesturing to two guards at their post to assist him. The added pair nodded their cooperation and the small group made their way down the long tunnel. Reaching the blocked opening, the dragon guards placed themselves on one side of the boulder and pushed the covering away.

They regarded the visible area for a moment before turning back and nodding that all was clear. Thanking them softly, Sigurd stepped outside and gave his own quick look as he heard the other two dragons place the boulder back. Once either side could no longer see the other, he let out a resigned breath and took a moment to steady himself.

The humans laid their hands reassuringly on his back upon noticing his action, eliciting a shrug from their new acquaintance. **“Do not concern yourselves with what just happened. I knew some dragon like Cáldarr would bring that to Ívarr’s attention. Your presence managed to tie Cáldarr’s wing behind his back, giving Ívarr another issue to focus on.”**

Before Åsmund could say anything, the Night Fury continued on with, **“We’re flying back now, so stay close to my body.  We’ll be at your camp soon and I rather this task end on a partially successful note.”** When the humans didn’t make any sound, he slowly flapped his wings to test the air currents and upon finding them satisfactory, carefully glided them out. After giving his passengers enough time to adjust themselves, he flew up to a higher altitude and let out a small boost of speed.   

As their speed increased, Hiccup tried not to let their last few moments in the colony cast a cloud over the whole adventure. _Obviously each dragon colony has their own sets of rules like villages do, so it’s not like I can really judge them. Besides, it could have ended way worse._

In his mind, Åsmund thought about the comparisons he saw between this Night Fury colony and other dragon colonies Razor and he had met during their travels. _Other Alphas we met demanded obedience as well, but Ívarr placed such a large emphasis on it. It must have to do with the Earth Elemental Fury._ At the mention of their mission, he unconsciously tightened his grip on the Soother in his hands. _Hopefully, calming the Fury will help dispel some of their fears and provide a better future for the next generation._

Island West of Night Fury Colony

Mid-afternoon neared and Razor initiated her fifth pacing around the clearing. Off to the side, Toothless laid down patiently and silently measured the ruts his mate had formed in the ground. So far, her third pacing still held the record of an inch and a half, but this round of pacing was coming awfully close to surpassing that. 

Razor, however, remained oblivious to her unintentional plowing. The feeling from hours ago had cleared up, just as Toothless predicted it would. Despite its dispersion, her worry for her other half to return had not lessened one bit.  _I don’t feel the dread I felt those hours ago, but I’m still concerned. Honestly, if Åsmund was… If the other dragons did something to him then I’m sure I would have felt it. But still, it’s growing awfully late._

**“Inch and three quarters!”** Toothless suddenly exclaimed, causing Razor to jump up in surprise and take a defensive position. As her eyes scanned around, she found nothing new had entered the clearing and Toothless was flashing her, a knowing smirk.

Trying to hide the embarrassed blush that threatened to show, she pointedly asked, **“What in the world is ‘inch and three quarters’ supposed to mean, Toothless?”**

**“Look down and you’ll find out,”** he merely stated, a chuckle concluding his sentence.

Looking straight down to where she was just pacing, Razor shook her head in annoyance upon noticing the cause for his sudden amusement. Worry for her other half more than warranted making a few dents in the ground. Deciding not to engage with his hatchling antics Razor lifted her head back up and turned towards the East, searching for some sign of the humans’ return.

Toothless’ mouth suddenly curved in a way that warned he was about to say something, prompting Razor to ready her own response. They suddenly froze, however, when their ears heard a Night Fury roar out. Toothless quickly stood up and they scanned the sky together, simultaneously spotting a black spot growing closer towards them.

Razor instantly worried at the sight of the single spec and readied herself into a take-off position. She immediately hesitated, though, when Toothless stated, **“Elise, stay still and don’t go rushing to any conclusions.”**

With her wings still twitching in anticipation, she asked, **“Why is there only one, Tokka? Something must have gone wrong.”** As a multitude of scenarios popped into her head, her worry only increased and she quickly turned around to voice them all to her mate. His demeanor, however, displayed the complete opposite of hers and she couldn’t help but question his attitude. **“How can you be so calm? I know you said you learned to trust Hiccup, but why aren’t you flying out there just to make sure?”**  

Toothless shook his head at her questioning, walking over and rubbing his head against the underside of her chin. **“Trust me, I’m not calm one bit, but I can’t exactly rush out to see what’s going on,”** he explained, raising up his red, artificial tail fin to her vision. Razor dropped her head down a bit, ashamed that she had completely forgotten about his slight handicap. **“I can’t fly on my own without a rider, so that’s why I have toned myself down whenever it comes to Hiccup. If he’s taken a long distance away, then I can’t fly there and help without back up. It’s by good fortune that when we got separated two months ago that… Well, we were extremely lucky compared to past times when that has happened** **.”**   He slipped his head down her neck and rested it against his claim mark on her neck, comforting himself with thoughts of what the future held in store for them.

At his words, Razor once again found her worry for Åsmund becoming more controlled, hoping that she would remember this exchange a lot longer than his earlier one when it comes to later situations like this. However, his demeanor changed towards the end and gave away that something was amiss. Reading his silent pleas, she reached her wings around her mate and held him close to her. After all this time spent comforting her and reminding her of his love, it felt only natural that the favor would be returned. She averted her gaze to look down at him, noticing his closed eyes as he nuzzled himself against the mark he placed on her. 

**“What are you thinking about Tokka?”** she asked softly.

**“Our future, and what may happen with us,”** he replied timidly, his words touching her heart despite their lack of strength.

Mulling them over in her mind for a while, she realized how little they have discussed beyond the near future. She knew that they would (hopefully) be together after the battle, but the afterwards only focused on whether or not they survived. If they both survived the battle, would they still feel so strongly for each other?

Sigurd looked at the two in the distance and then turned his head slightly to look at the two humans still on his back.  **“We are nearing your island, so you can remove your blindfolds,”** Sigurd told them. Åsmund nodded and translated the message to Hiccup. 

Hiccup did his best to remain balanced on top of Sigurd as he unwound his blindfold. Once his eyes readjusted, he reached over and undid Åsmund’s so he would not have to release the figurine still resting tightly in his other hand. The Berkian glanced down at the wooden object and met Åsmund’s gaze, both understanding what was still in store for them. 

Åsmund turned away when he felt Sigurd slightly adjust himself, refocusing his attention to remaining balanced as they flew for the final stretch. Looking down into his hand, he thought, _all our hopes rest upon this.  I hope to Odin that this Soother is the Earth Fury’s Soother. If not, then that means we will have to take time to investigate the other energy radiating near him. Time that we may or may not have._

Willing his thoughts to remain positive, Åsmund shifting his focus away from it and looked towards the approaching island. In the clearing where they had separated earlier, he noticed a dark shape near the center and as they approached further, he began to distinguish which dragon was which. His observations also drew attention to Razor holding Toothless, which immediately struck him as odd. _Razor is normally not this delayed in reuniting. Why doesn’t she and Toothless just fly-”_ The realization quickly hit him. _Right, Toothless can’t fly so she’s waiting with him._  

That explanation resonated as the most plausible in his mind, although it was also the only one he even considered.  If he knew of any other reason, then maybe those thoughts would have changed.

Hiccup smiled down at the pair as they become more focused, slight relief washing over him now that this small adventure was nearly over. _Toothless probably nearly went crazy with worry, but probably didn’t show it for Razor’s sake. Of course, they most likely spent most of the time proclaiming their affection for each other, if their current placement is anything to go by_ _._

Sigurd angled his wings and fins, descending slowly towards the clearing and paying careful attention to any shifts in the wind or updrafts.  He eased himself down and touched lightly on the ground, not relaxing anything until his feet laid firmly planted against the ground. Once his landing was complete, he gestured for the two Furies to reclaim their riders.

Hiccup slid off Sigurd’s back first and reached his hand out to accept the figurine, feeling its weight settle in the middle of his hand. Åsmund, with his uninjured limb now free, carefully slid off after the other man, saying to Sigurd, “Thank you Sigurd for everything. We will do our best to leave your colony area quickly.”

**“Please do. I do not wish to handle two more hatchlings over the ones I will, and am already, looking after** **,”** he stated, his tone giving away a bit of the sarcasm he attempted to keep at bay. Even if his words remained stony, however, there was a speck of what could only be identified as humor in his eyes. A very small speck, of course, but still a speck.

Åsmund reclaimed the figurine from Hiccup just as the other pair joined them. Once the group combined, Razor couldn’t help but ask, **“Did something happen to Ívarr and Hjálmarr? When we-”** A quick look from Toothless instantly elicited an exhausted sigh from her. **“When I only saw you approaching, I feared something bad happened at your colony.”**

**“Did something bad happen?”** Toothless ended up asking directly, choosing not to notice Razor’s smug smirk directed at him.

**“Well for one, your humans have no sense of detecting danger. Second, I am inclined to believe they have no concept of ownership, which might because they lack that sense. Third, they make a mess wherever they go** **. And finally…”** Sigurd’s features softened a bit as he concluded, **“They aren’t exactly as horrible as most other humans out there. Although, I highly recommend you do not let them be on their own for more than five minutes at a time.”**

**“You have no idea how many times I have tried keeping Hiccup out of trouble,”** Toothless replied, pressing his head against Hiccup’s back. In response, the human joked back, “Oh, come on. You know you have enjoyed all our hoo-hahs and misadventures over these years.”

Toothless smiled a bit at the comment, answering back by licking up and down the back of Hiccup’s head and upper part of his clothes. The man lightly knocked the attacking head, complaining, “Oh come….on Toothless…” The dragon managed a few more blows before Hiccup dropped his body to the ground, rolling out of range before daring to return back to his feet. He extended out his arms, groaning a bit at the Night Fury salvia dropping down his back. “You know that doesn’t wash out.”

“Looks like someone’s other half thinks you- Hey! Razor!” Åsmund started, finding himself becoming interrupted as Razor started licking him as well. He let out several chuckles and threw up his good arm in mock defense. When Razor went back for another round, she noticed his hand clutching something.

**“Åsmund,”** she whispered, straightening up in anticipation. She carefully leaned forward and gave the object a few whiffs. **“Is that the Soother?”**

“Yeah. We found it in the possession of one of the colony members and managed to convince Ívarr to let us take it.” Razor and Toothless moved forward to further study the wooden figurine, listening as Sigurd supplied, **“Which leads me back to my first and second points. They found it in one of the colony member’s homes, making the resident very hostile. If Ívarr hadn’t intervened, then these two might have been nothing more than crispy targets.”**

**“What?!”** Razor exclaimed, moving her attention away from the Soother to her other half. **“Åsmund, what possessed you to do something so dangerous like that?”**

“Razor, you must remember: your definition of dangerous and mine do not perfectly match up,” Åsmund offered lightly, letting out a small chuckle.  His dragon, on the other hand, found no amusement with the situation and launched into quick, almost unintelligible statements about how worried she was about him.

When Sigurd turned to observe Toothless’ reaction, he was surprised to find the dragon only sighing. Noticing the other’s stare, Toothless stated, **“We’ve had worse encounters than that. Plus, nothing I say will keep Hiccup from rushing headlong into danger. I have learned to just deal with it as it comes.”** Hiccup wisely stayed silent, flashing Toothless a scheming smile.

After another minute, Razor ceased voicing her past concern, allowing Åsmund to say, “In my defense, Ívarr did give us permission to retrieve the Soother. We were just lucky that it wasn’t another Night Fury.” Sighing, the female dragon replied, **“True, at least it isn’t a Night Fury. I am sure it would have been disastrous trying to convince them to join us.”**

“Exactly,” Åsmund agreed. Now that Razor’s customary concerned talk was concluded, he turned to Sigurd and said, “We’ll make sure we sooth the Earth Fury and then leave here. Maybe next time, we can meet under better circumstances.”

**“If you four manage to survive against the Earth Fury, then _maybe_ Ívarr won’t automatically call for your deaths on sight.” ** From the tone Sigurd answered, it appeared that would be the highest honor any former threat could receive from the highly protective and ruling Alpha. **“Personally though… I would not be completely closed off to exchanging pleasantries.”**

 

Åsmund translated everything to Hiccup as the dragon went on. When he reached the end, Hiccup’s features scrunched up for a moment, brightening quickly. Turning to Sigurd, he stated, “I’m glad you were there for us, Sigurd. If we do survive and Ívarr decides we might be trustworthy, Berk is only hours away from here. You and your team are more than welcomed to visit, if Toothless doesn’t mind as well.”

When eyes turned to him, Toothless tilted his head for a second before answering, **“I do not see why not. Many of the dragons and humans on Berk do not have much experience with other Night Furies. I am sure your presence will only encourage greater connections between our colonies.”**

Sigurd looked between the human and dragon leader, thinking their offer over. After a while, he replied, **“I cannot promise anything, due to my duties. However, I am sure Njörðr will not be against meeting new dragons, and possibly humans. For now though, I suggest you focus entirely on the Earth Fury. Ívarr prizes actions over words so if you want any chance of us to meet again, then I hope your quest ends well. Until next time then.”**

The group bowed their heads in farewell, the four moving back as Sigurd’s wings spread out. He let out a few flaps to test the air and once he felt confident, he leapt into the air and quickly soared off back to his colony.

The four remained in the middle of the clearing, watching the retreating figure until he disappeared over the horizon. Now that it was just them, the two humans let out long sighs of relief and sat down. “Well that went better than I expected,” Hiccup commented.

“What were you expecting?” Åsmund asked, bringing the figurine closer for further inspection.

“A whole lot more fire,” the man stated, flopping down on his back. “And possibly a lot more growling.” At the mention of growl, both Hiccup and Åsmund’s stomachs let out their own calls, prompting the dragons to let out quiet laughs.

**“I take it you two haven’t had anything to eat since this morning,”** Razor observed, smiling. She observed the sky for a moment and stated, **“I’ll bring us some fish then. Toothless, you stay here with them. I won’t be gone long.”**

The male in question teasingly pouted and did as commanded, commenting, **“It feels like we are taking care of two hatchlings instead of two grown humans.”**

**“Well, Sigurd did say we should not leave them alone and that they still have a few things to learn about survival.”** She winked at Toothless, leaving the clearing to the unintelligible mumblings of Hiccup’s complaint about being regarded as a child.

Hiccup smiled a moment later though, saying, “It is nice though to be back with dragons that I can actually understand. I hated having to be told what the others were saying, no offense Åsmund. You were extremely helpful.”

Still studying the wooden object, Åsmund stated, “None taken.”

Noticing the other’s intense focus, Hiccup slowly sat back up and asked, “What are you thinking about?”

“Nothing really. I just wondering why this was chosen for the Earth Fury’s Soother. Every Soother is chosen for a reason, either because they intersected with the Elemental Fury at some point in their life or are close to them. This item, however, is relatively new and doesn’t seem to have interacted with the Earth Fury prior to him being born.” Åsmund turned the object over slowly in his hand, adding, “This is also the first object Soother that we know of. The Water Fury and Razor’s previous incarnations have all had living Soothers, so I am not too knowledgeable about an object Soother.”  

“Did the Sea King and Queen mention if there is any major difference between the two?”

“Not really, but they did not really explain either one in grave detail either. They just explained the basics of how Soothers work and some common features among them.”

As Åsmund finished, Razor crested over the tree line and flew down directly beside them, her mouth full of fish. She deposited them into a small pile and happily cheered, **“Midday meal is served.”**  

She laid her head against Åsmund’s side, snapping the man from his thoughts about the Soother. Noticing her catch, he smiled and said, “Thanks, Razor. Now that we have some time, let’s discuss what will our next course of action would be.”

**“Do you want me to collect some wood for a fire?”**

**“Don’t worry about that, Toothless. I got it covered.”**

She moved herself more evenly between every member and carefully opened her mouth. Gas began gathering upon her command, igniting just enough that the energy expelled as a low flame in her mouth instead of one of her offensive blasts. Hiccup became immediately distracted at Razor’s actions, only shaking himself out of the daze when Åsmund presented him with a stick to heat his fish on.

Taking Åsmund’s cue, they carefully positioned the creatures over the heat source while Toothless merely at his raw. Once their first fish had heated up enough, Razor cut off her flame and ate a few morsels herself. When both men were done, she repeated the flame process and they settled into a small routine as they discussed the next day.

As they ate, Åsmund sketched out a rough map of the area in the dirt, pointing out where the Elemental Earth Fury resided and marking out the relative locations of other features. “The Night Fury colony is somewhere this way-” he made a vague circle in the intended area. “So let’s avoid going back that way anytime soon. If my memory serves me right, then somewhere towards the Earth Fury-” he added a few shapes. “There should be a group of islands that might have a place where we can camp out for the night.”

“This is close to an area where Toothless and I stopped flying out to explore,” Hiccup observed, frowning a bit. “We had planned on going out this way to explore some more, but then Drago came along and with everything that happened after that, there was never a good time to head back out.”

At the unexpected mention of his home, Hiccup asked, “Åsmund, do you have an idea when we can expect to be back in Berk? I’m sure nothing important is burning down, but there are still some preparations and issues I need to discuss with my village.”

“Well if all goes according to how I imagine,” he started, moving away his fish and allowing Razor the opportunity to settle her appetite for the moment. “Then at most four days. The only way I can see us taking longer is if the Soother we have now isn’t the Earth Fury’s.”

**“Then I guess we better hope that this is the Soother we need,”** Toothless stated, Hiccup nodding in agreement.

Once everyone had their fill, Hiccup and Åsmund placed their weapons back on their bodies, well aware this next encounter would be anything but peaceful. Hiccup made sure Toothless’ tail fin did not have any issues or kinks and Razor voiced her continued concern about Åsmund embarking on such dangerous activities with his injured wrists. When the other riding pair announced they were ready, however, her features immediately tightened to a battle face and she stated, **“Whatever happens now, at least we are in this together.”**

Everyone nodded with her statement and without another word, they quickly set off planning on finding a more protected island for them to rest that night before facing the Earth Fury.


	14. Discussions of the Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The flight towards the Earth Fury continues but now talks of what may happen in the future surface while they gather for rest. What could be happening to Asmund with these thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own the "How to Train Your Dragon" Movies, Animated Series or Book series. Those characters belong to DreamWorks Animation and Cressida Cowell. My original characters are mine and if you wish to use him please ask me first.

_Words typed like this are thoughts in their head_   
Words like this are scenes/locations where it is occurring   
**Words typed like this is Dragonese**

* * *

Discussions of the Future

Over Ocean South of Night Fury Colony

With figurine tucked away safely into one of the bags on Razor's saddle, they flew towards the Earth Fury. Below them, the landscape continued changing between open water and small islands, with a sea stack or five thrown in every now and then. After a while the distance between the islands began decreasing, telling the group that the islands they were searching for were getting closer.

_Looks like our time is running out,_ Åsmund thought, growing frustrated as he tried to formulate a plan that would set the Soother in the Earth Fury's vision. He knew there would have to be a fight, but he was not planning on anyone dying or being seriously injured anytime soon. _This would be a bit easier if we knew the Fury's fighting style. Is it straight offense? Let's the enemy tire itself out? Even though it's still in Rage, can it still sense other dragons? Hmm…_ _does an Elemental Fury that isn't calm sense the presence of another Elemental Fury? Would it know that we are coming or will it still act the same as Razor_ _did_ _before she calmed?_

"Razor, I have a question for you. Do you think the Earth Fury will sense us coming, or will he react in Rage as other un-calmed Furies do?" Åsmund asked cautiously, not wanting to invoke too many bad memories of Razor's past upon her.

Razor tilted her head slightly in thought, peering into the memories of the other Elemental Furies of Fire for any information that could help him. Unfortunately, she couldn't find anything useful. Dejectedly, she replied, **"Sorry Åsmund, but I don't know. From the memories of the others before me, it seems that the Elemental Furies were always spread** **far** **apart from each other.** **Because of that,** **they never ran into each other. This is the first time** **in memory** **that all five will ever be close to each other at one time."**

Åsmund tucked his right hand under his chin at her reply, absently rubbing it as he continued thinking to himself.

"Speaking of that," Hiccup piped in, working with Toothless to glide them closer to the other pair. "How far along is Toothless coming with his change? Not that I don't value my best friend as he is, but I would rather not be in the middle of another fight when his next power surprise kicks in." Toothless lightly flapped his head fin against Hiccup's hand, chuckling as his friend flashed him an annoyed gaze.

The question pulled Åsmund from his thoughts and he regarded the two dragons with a curious look as Razor's own expression sharpened in concentration. _If Toothless is close to changing, then we may not have enough time to sooth the Earth Fury. Plus, if an unsoothed Fury meets one changing near its territory, will it-_

" **It's sped up just slightly, but it is not far off from what we originally thought.** **At this current pace,** **he's about five days away from changing,"** Razor replied calmly.

"Well that's highly encouraging," Hiccup stated, grinning to his friend. "You know Astrid, mom, and Fishlegs are definitely going to go crazy after you change, right?"

" **Just as long as they do not constantly watch me, especially while I am sleeping, then I should be able to handle it."** Toothless let out a slight shake at the thought, smiling as he heard Hiccup and Razor chuckle at his response. _"_ _ **Although, there might be one being I wouldn't mind sharing my space with during that time."**_

The area around Razor's cheeks turned a bright red that luckily went unnoticed by the humans. With a shy but careful turn of her head, she caught Toothless' eyes and he immediately cast them downward, obviously surprised at how quickly his thoughts came up with his statement. Razor smiled and shifted to the front, replying, _**"I would like that, so long as it is concludes the end of a whole day with just the two of us before you change."**_

" _ **As you wish,**_ _ **my dear mate**_ _ **.**_ _ **A single day, or more**_ _ **if you wish, of just you and**_ _ **me without any interruptions,"**_ Toothless finalized, lifting his eyes back up and smiling to her.

Their actions must not have been as concealed as they thought, because Hiccup commented, "Really? You two are acting shy around each other now? Where was that consideration on our way to help Åsmund? As much as I value our friendship, Toothless, I would rather not listen to your undying love for each other every five minutes."

Toothless rolled his eyes as his human's exaggeration and with a sly smirk to a slightly embarrassed Razor, folded in his wings and let them drop down. The action immediately elicited a startled shout from Hiccup, which turned into quiet cries of confusion as the dragon began rolling over.

Razor stopped harshly and nearly threw Åsmund off her back. He luckily managed to retain his grip, but his injured hand gave its own protest at the action. Hearing his quiet cry, Razor quickly said, **"I'm so sorry, Åsmund! But I just-"**

"No, no," he managed to say through deep breaths, watching Toothless spread out his wings before the two would have taken an untimed dip. "I understand. Caught me by surprise, too."

It must have been years working with each other and conducting less than safe maneuvers that allowed the pair to quickly regain height, with their banter between each other lacking any sort of bite. Instead of rejoining the higher pair, they ended up flying further above them, laughing with each other at something neither Razor nor Åsmund could catch.

" **It is amazing how close those two are,"** Razor commented. " **I thought we might have been the only pair who are as close as dragon and human can be."**

"Yeah, we are pretty close," Åsmund whispered, his eyes lowering as he finished. Razor turned over and looked at her other half, her question clear in her eyes. With a small breath, the human said, "It's nothing. Just me over-thinking about the quest and all, again."

Before Razor could press further, Toothless and Hiccup dropped down beside them, wide grins plastered across their faces. "Sorry about that." **"Just had to settle something, that's all."**

The other two just shook their heads in amusement, Åsmund's expression brightening itself back up. "No problem. Though we really should find a place to rest for the night and prepare for tomorrow. If we keep heading out, we should spot something very soon."

With confirming nods, the group resumed their journey out as the sun gradually dropped further down in the sky. After heading out a few hundred feet further side by side, Razor gave a harsher wing flap and shot slightly ahead, flashing Toothless a challenging smirk. The male dragon copied her action, catching his human's eye and found his smirk growing when he caught Hiccup's agreeing spark.

All three turned to Åsmund, who merely shrugged his shoulders. "Won't matter anyway. Razor and I are obviously going to win." Åsmund quickly tightened his hold on the saddle and leaned forward a second before Razor gave a large wing beat, leaving the Berk residents smiling.

"Think your mate will be furious when we beat them," Hiccup teased, setting the fin to the needed position and leaned farther down. Toothless smirked, saying, **"Let's find out."**

Toothless' black wings spread out as far as they could and without wasting another second, he snapped them down and swiftly gained up to the other pair. The two cast a glance behind them and when they noticed the mock competition right beside them, they flashed very similar smiles before taking the lead again. Their obvious place lasted only seconds when they saw Toothless and Hiccup catch up once again, only to pass them up this time. However, the Berkians did not have time to enjoy their lead either as Razor and Åsmund caught up to them.

The rest of their flight continued in this action, with all members laughing as they passed each other. For now, all the worries about the other Elemental Furies, Loki and the battle on the way became a side note as the dragon riders and their reptiles simply enjoyed the thrill of the flight under gentle flaming sky.

Unknown Island

As the sun began to touch the horizon, the group noticed a small lake in the center a heavily forested island and decided to land there. They descended along the shore, neither Razor and Åsmund nor Hiccup and Toothless bothering to pay attention to who touched down first.

Once they were sure of their footing, the humans slid off their dragons and Åsmund unloaded the saddle and bags off of Razor. He fumbled in one of the bags for a moment and brought out an axe, saying, "Better get a fire going before it gets too dark."

Hiccup and Toothless approached them, Hiccup asking, "I didn't bring any supplies, since this was so sudden and all, but is there anything I can help with?"

"Well, Razor needs to recharge herself so do you mind helping her get lumber for her pyre? Toothless, you can help me with making a pit for her," Åsmund suggested, looking toward some small saplings and finding them suitable for a small fire.

"Sounds like fun." **"Alright Hiccup, come with me** **then** **,"** Razor stated, moving further towards the forest. Hiccup followed after her and when they were at a safe enough distance, Razor shot at the trunks of several large trees. Birds and other animals noisily scattered away from the sound and shockwave of the blasts, none too pleased at the strangers rearranging their spaces. Hiccup found himself feeling a bit guilty, but didn't let that stop him from gathering the scattered wood.

With a few well-placed and strong strikes, the saplings flopped down onto the ground to the sounds of Toothless scrapping his paws into the ground. Åsmund carefully arranged the saplings and with practiced ease, brought his small fire to life. Making sure it burned steadily, he walked over and started to help Toothless with moving the dirt out of the pit he was making for his mate.

The two worked silently together and when they found the depth acceptable, they heard Razor and Hiccup return. Hiccup's arms and Razor's back carried large pieces of lumber, which they immediately deposited into the pit when the diggers moved themselves aside.

Åsmund smirked as he took sight of the large pile of wood, asking Razor, "How long has it been since we needed to do a pit like this, Razor? At least two months?"

Razor's deep laugh echoed slightly in the air as she nuzzled her head against Åsmund's shoulder, replying, **"Yea,** **and** **that volcano was starting to** **feel very** **homey.** **Really** **reminded me of our home back on Eydísný."** In a quieter voice, she whispered, **"I miss it… and I know you miss your family, too."** The man absent-mindedly brushed his hand along her snout, her soft and loving voice portraying all of her concern for his well-being. Åsmund rubbed the top of Razor's head softly, his mind turned to thoughts of home and his family.

Toothless found himself growing jealous at the other man's actions, but quickly stifled it before his mind could take root of the emotion. While Razor was his mate, she was still Åsmund's other half and had a home somewhere else. If it were Hiccup and him in the other two's position, he would probably have comforted his friend in this way as well.

After giving the pair a few more seconds to themselves, he walked over and reservedly licked the underside of Razor's chin, commenting, **"** **If** **that's how long you two lived on Dragon Island,** **then** **you two arrived just when we were fighting Drago."**

"We've been in the region for over two years, but only camped out in your area about two months ago. We heard about Drago a couple of times, but when we didn't feel anything around him, we just left him alone," Åsmund admitted. "If we had known you were an Elemental Fury at the time we would have helped, but we were too focused on our agenda."

Hiccup walked over to him, putting a hand on Åsmund's shoulder, saying reassuringly, "It may be too late for you to help us take down a dragon hating madman, but you did help us save my best friend when Hel attacked. And for that, I can never thank you enough."

Åsmund smiled at Hiccup's words, wrapping his good hand around the one on his shoulder and lifting them up in between them. "It's I who should be thanking you for believing in me and coming out to help me, so let's just call it even, agreed?" At Hiccup's nod of agreement, they shifted their hands so that their palms laid perpendicular to each other and closed their fingers over the other's back hands.

They pulled their hands away a moment later and kneeled down by the pit, arranging the lumber into something that would burn well without causing Razor any discomfort. Razor nudged Åsmund's back gently, smiling as she headed to a few smaller trees and bent them down with her paws. They nearly touched the ground before they finally snapped off, scattering a few chips around the base.

Toothless appeared beside her as she bent down to push them toward the pit with her head, brushing against her side with his wings. Together they partly rolled, partly shoved, everything to the wood filled hole.

The humans managed to lay down the wood as evenly as they could, and made sure a good area around the pit was covered in a decent layer of soil. If any sparks flared out while they were all sleeping, then at least it wouldn't set the campsite or forest on fire without serious help from a breeze. They moved aside when the dragons brought over the small trees, motioning to lay them out as well.

" **It's alright,"** Razor said, halting their movement. **"Toothless and I can manage this. You two go over and warm up beside the fire."**

While Hiccup just shrugged his shoulders and stood up quickly, Åsmund remained staring at his dragon. When she turned away from him so she and Toothless could lift up one of the trees, he slowly raised himself up and followed Hiccup to the fire he created a few paces away. Neither dragon paid attention to their humans as they leaned the wood against each other in order to make a small wooden roof over the pit.

Hiccup glanced over at his friend, frowning when he noticed Åsmund staring intently at the dragon mates. At first, he thought about letting the other man be with his thoughts, but something in the back of Hiccup's mind told him something more was going on. There was a flash of something in Åsmund's eyes, nothing chilling or dramatic, but definitely something that set off quiet warning horns in his mind.

Hoping to dispel that gaze, Hiccup conversationally asked Åsmund, "How long have you two been away from Eydísný?"

The other man's eyes flickered rapidly, most likely a result of having his focus shifted so suddenly. Hiccup tried not to let his relief display across his features as Åsmund replied, "We visited my sister for a brief time while looking for Sea Kings and Queens in the Far East. Everyone else, though, not for two years."

"That's a long time to be away from home."

"Yeah, but I knew if we didn't set out on this quest, then home wouldn't have lasted too long anyway."

As the two men conversed, Razor and Toothless completed their modification to the pyre and went to join their humans. At the mention of Eydísný and their time away, Razor's features softened in sympathy and she gently nudged Åsmund's back. The man startled slightly but upon realizing it was only his other-half, he returned the action with a small smile. She moved to his side and laid on the ground next to him, allowing him to slowly stroke the top of her head "Besides, I can't think of any human or dragon I would have rather traveled with then Razor."

The two smiled warmly to each other, only breaking eye contact when Razor felt Toothless lay himself down next her. While Razor's face brightened with the new arrangement, neither noticed Åsmund's warm cheer coolly stiffen in response. Only when Razor turned back around to her human did a true bit of joy spark in his eyes. Hiccup caught this alteration from the corner of his eye and it took everything in him not to openly frown in confusion. Like last time however, he decided to keep his silence about Åsmund's expressions for the time being.

He must have been too focused on trying not to appear like he was focusing intensely on something, because he didn't notice Toothless wrap his tail around his waist until the dragon gave him a playful shake. Shaking his head widely in shock, he turned to the reptile in question and gave the smirking creature a foolhardy shove. As expected, it did very little in the way of moving or hurting the dragon, but it did elicit the good-natured smile Toothless wanted.

" **Anything in particular on your mind, Hiccup?"** Toothless asked lightly.

"Ah, no, not really. Just thinking of home and how mom probably won't let me leave her side until I go over this whole adventure at least twenty times. We might need to draft Cloudjumper into keeping her distracted so we could get away."

" **Your mom does appear very enthusiastic around dragons,"** Razor casually commented. **"Is that where you get your love of them from?"**

"Well…" Hiccup and Toothless exchanged a quick look, with the dragon eventually gesturing for the human to continue. Taking a small breath, Hiccup continued, "Maybe that's part of it. Mom was taken away during a raid when I was a baby by Cloudjumper. So while I tried learning how to fight them and not burn down the village, Cloudjumper and the other dragons taught her their secrets. I remember asking her a few days after the Drago incident if she ever felt threatened by any of them. She just laughed and said 'Cloudjumper wouldn't let any dragons near me for weeks after he brought me there.' I guess all of us have overprotective dragons that can't take the hint."

Hiccup's teasing statement earned him a playful slap on his side from Toothless' tail, causing Razor to let out a quiet laugh at the two. Åsmund turned his head down with a sad smile, catching Razor's attention along with the other pair's. At her questioning stare, he stated, "It's nothing, Razor. Just… When I talked to Cloudjumper back at Berk, he reminded me so much of my brother. I may not have been always on great terms with my dad, but my brother has never given me any doubt that he loves me. Being away for so long and meeting someone, even a dragon, similar to him, it just makes me realize how much I miss him."

Åsmund turned his gaze up into the darkened sky, gazing at the points of light that began dotting across it. Razor carefully nudged his hand on top of her head, allowing him a few more seconds to himself before saying, **"I bet he misses you as well, and I am sure he will be ecstatic when you finally return back home."**

"Yeah, I bet your right, Razor," Åsmund conceded quietly. A moment passed when he realized her word choice in her encouragement. _When_ I _return? Razor, are you considering leaving me?_ His mind began wandering about what he and Razor would do after the battle, if all went well. Normally, his thoughts would feature the two of them returning back home, probably banged up but in one piece, and standing side-by-side as his family and the village rush toward them in cheer. Now though, he saw himself sliding onto the ground, turning to face Razor with a ready cheer to match every else's, but only finding an empty space where his other half should have been standing.

He quickly shook the image out of his head, this time catching the dragons' attentions as well. **"Is something the matter?"** Razor asked, concern lacing her words.

The man froze upon hearing her voice, mentally cursing himself at forgetting he was not alone at the moment. His usually quip about being fine halted on the tip of his tongue when he locked his eyes with Razor's concerned ones. While he might have been able to get away with his dodging before, he knew that he wouldn't be able to this time.

Besides, he owed her the truth after all their years together, and what right did he have to stand between her and her mate?

Quietly, almost timidly, Åsmund asked, "Razor, when this is all over, y-you want to settle down with Toothless, don't you?"

The two mates looked at each other at the sudden question, eliciting a confused expression from Hiccup as well. As the question processed however, the Berkian found himself sharing Åsmund's sentiment. No matter where his thoughts led though, Hiccup just couldn't see Toothless not being anywhere away from Berk. Toothless was the Alpha for the dragons in their area, meaning that if he decided to go to Dragon City with Razor, he would either have to step down or convince the other dragons to go with him. The latter seemed highly unlikely, given that the other dragons had their own humans they had bonded with. The former, however, would allow Toothless and Razor to be together, but would also mean Hiccup would be losing his best friend.

After several long moments, Razor nuzzled Åsmund's cheek and licked it softly, pressing her forehead against his. Softly, she said, **"I want to, but I also don't want to** **leave** **you. You** **are** **need** **ed** **home** **to handle** **everything with Dragon City and the Guard** **and I want to be with you** **, but I** **yearn** **to be with Toothless. I** **feel like I am being** **torn in two** **just thinking of only being with one** **of you."** Åsmund took his hands and rubbed the underside of her jaw, breathing slowly as she laid her thoughts before them.

Toothless nuzzled his mate slowly once she finished speaking, adding, **"Åsmund, you and her** **share** **the same** **bond** **as Hiccup and I.** **There was a time** **after we defeated the Red Death** **when** **I left Hiccup,** **around our** **first Snoggletog** **no less, to retrieve** **his helmet he lost at sea** **. Although our separation only lasted for a few days, we could only focus on how much we missed each other and how lost we felt without the other."** He turned to Razor and without halting, continued, **"I know our time together has felt both short and long-lived since we met, but if you worry about Åsmund so much that him being gone for a whole day nearly drives you insane, then I don't want to put you through that** **."**

Åsmund's eyes began watering at their words, his emotions nearly causing moisture to fall from their eyes. "Thank …Thank you for your words. It means a lot that you would sacrifice your own happiness so Razor and I could be together, but I'm also not willing to give up your happiness just to satisfy my own. Razor and I have a bond that can't be broken, but all I ever wanted was for her to experience happiness. If her being with you is what she wants, then I will just-"

Razor, who had listened quietly to the males' statements, suddenly sprung to her feet and bumped her head against Åsmund's chest, nearly knocking him down. He managed to catch himself before he fell back and stared at her as she stated, **"Don't you dare, Åsmund! You are not going to give up on me that easily. After everything you've done for me, calming me, stopping the war between our kinsmen, being** **with me** **for all these years,** **helping me realize I am not a monster, proving to me that I can forge** **friendship** **s** **,** **reuniting** **me** **with** **Tokka again, and growing into the family I** **have** **missed so much since I lost them."** Streaks of tears began running down from her eyes as she ranted, the first ones she has shed in a long time. **"So no Åsmund, you are not going to lose me and I will not let you give me up** **anytime soon** **."**

"But, Razor, you-"

" **Would not be who I am today if you hadn't been there when I needed you. Åsmund, I love you so much but if you keep belittling yourself like this, I will have no choice but to knock some sense into you."**

Through the tears, they both let out chocked laughs, more than familiar with her usual threat and knowing it would never come to pass. Åsmund slid his hands and arms up to Razor's neck and hugged her tightly as they cried and sobbed softly. Next to them, Toothless and Hiccup exchanged looked of comradeship as well, a few tears leaking from their eyes as well. Their conversation from the other day floated in their minds of Hiccup's oath swearing he sacrifice himself so that Toothless could have the chance to live the rest of his life with Razor.

As the sounds gradually quieted down, Hiccup commented, "We still have some time to figure something out, Åsmund. And even if we don't-" Hiccup gestured towards him, "you are a great other half for her and, if I may say so, I'd gladly claim you as my dragon brother-in-law."

Both parties laughed softly at Hiccup's comments, breaking their hug as Åsmund remarked, "Really, Dragon brother-in-law? And did you gesture to all of me?"

Razor jokingly nudged her rider before slowly getting off the ground. **"Come on, let's rest for tomorrow. Tokka, can you light my bed for the night?"** Razor asked. Toothless nodded and stood up as well, turning himself around to face the pit. He lightly shot out a blast at the wood and after a few seconds, the timber caught fire. **"Thank you darling. I'll see everyone in the morning,"** Razor politely voiced, kissing Toothless on the cheek before slipping into her fiery pit.

"Night, Razor. Tomorrow, we'll find the range of the Fury's territory and plan our assault from there," Åsmund piped in, wiping his face clean of any tears and saliva. Once he was satisfied, he opened his bag and began pulling out his sleeping furs, offering a few to Hiccup but receiving a respectful refusal.

"It's only for one night, and hopefully before the day ends tomorrow, Toothless and I will be on our way back to Berk," Hiccup added, brushing himself off as he leaned against his dragon.

"Alright then. Here's to hoping," Åsmund whispered, moving a bit closer to Razor's pit before covering himself in furs. Toothless adjusted himself closer to his mate as well, but with just enough nearness that he could still wrap Hiccup inside his wings to keep him warm.

While the pit crackled quietly and warmly, all four quickly fell asleep, knowing tomorrow wouldn't be as serene.


	15. Prelude to the Earth Fury

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is the morning before the planned search of the Earth Fury after the Colony. Asmund is disturbed by a dream he had and his thoughts wander around if it is worth it now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own the “How to Train Your Dragon” Movies, Animated Series or Book series. Those characters belong to DreamWorks Animation and Cressida Cowell. My original characters are mine and if you wish to use him please ask me first.

_Words typed like this are thoughts in their head_  
Words like this are scenes/locations where it is occurring  
**Words typed like this is Dragonese**

Prelude to the Earth Fury

Unknown Island

Åsmund’s sleep remained serene through most of the night, but nearly an hour before the sun rose, his dream took a complete turn. Whether his slumber laden mind had conjured up a nightmare or some higher power deemed it vital to relay a vision about the upcoming battle, his peaceful night instantly tumble downed. 

The dreamscape shifted to a hazy scene, with the emphasis of the subjects defined but lacking any details. His mind’s focus automatically concentrated on three dark body silhouettes on the ground, shaped like Night Furies along with an enormous dragon body and a lone human body near them.  He then saw two Night Fury shapes in the distance with a human figure on the ground with them over it.  Everything was a haze so he couldn’t see whom each of the bodies or figures were and that scared him.  There was smoke and smoldering rocks all around and then the two Night Furies shot at the human point blank. 

Before contact could be made, he jolted awake in a cold sweat, his furs flying several feet away due to the hasty action. He let out short, quick breaths as the scene lingered in his thoughts, thankful his mind did not attempt to imagine what the human would have looked or sounded like had the shots hit. His eyes adjusted to the dim light quietly supplied by the smoldering pyre where Razor remained resting, taking in his surroundings.

Save for the dimmer pyre and his own alertness, everything perfectly pictured the scene he remembered before falling asleep. Razor resting comfortably in the remaining embers; Hiccup curled up near Toothless’ body; and Toothless laying in just the right spot that Hiccup wouldn’t get overheated during the night but still close to Razor. 

_It seemed so real. Was it just a nightmare? A glimpse at what may happen today? During another quest? Or at the final battle itself?_ he thought, his worry and fear causing his heart to speed up once again. Already sensing another wave of panic, he slipped out of his make shift bed and shuffled over to the small pond, careful not to disturb everyone else’s sleep.

Upon reaching the edge, he knelt down and reached into the pond with cupped hand and splashed some water onto his face. The cool water knocked away the last traces of sleep and he kept repeating the action, trying to remain quiet so he wouldn’t wake the others.

He pressed his hands against his eyes on his final action, silently taking in a deep breath. Blinking slowly, he looked down at his reflection in the water and immediately scurried several feet back when he noticed a gentle red hued with from behind him. He wiped his head around, but didn’t see anything save for a faint streak of natural light preceding the sun’s rising.

With that scare fading from his system, he returned to the spot and looked back down, thankful that the hue no longer seemed so noticeable. What was noticeable, however, the exhausted expression displayed in his features and his downcast eyes. The second half of their trip and fighting the Night Furies the Colony had drained most of his strength, and his nightmare had zapped any energy that had built up from his sleep for the night. The speculation of what Razor would do after the final battle created another factor of to stress. Despite her attempts from last evening, Åsmund could not find any comfort in a future without her.

He cursed himself as he realized how controlling his emotions were becoming, leaving him scrambling to regain his composure. _I’ve been so good at keeping these emotions at bay these past several years. Why are they threatening to break all the training I’ve done to suppress them, especially now where I should be solely focused on my quest?_   He fought back the tears as they mutinously starting to form in the corner of his eyes.

Shifting to a sitting position, he brought his leg up to his chest and wrapped his shaky arms around them. Resting his head against his knees, he tried not to think about the moisture trailing down his cheeks. _I need to push ideas of the future out of my head and focus on the present. Razor is my other half and Toothless’s mate, I’m here to lend her support and be her friend. That is all she can be: my friend!_

He rapidly repeated the phrases in his head, his mantra encountering a wedge when Razor’s statement sneaked into his head, _‘I’d gladly call you my mate if you were a dragon…’_  

Despite the time and circumstances that have passed, he could still perfectly recall and mentally articulate the honesty and sincerity of her words. Renewed tears began to roll down his cheeks as he drew his arms tighter around himself. “I feel the same for you, Razor. If you were human, I’d gladly call you my wife,” he whispered, so softly that it took him a moment to realize he had intend expressed the statement out loud.

The idea of sleep completely vanished, and he remained sitting on the shore line as the sun rose above the horizon. When he felt the gentle warms of the sun rays touch his backside, he gently pulled his head away from his arms and sighed softly. As he washed his face again, he told himself, _No emotions today, Åsmund. We have a job that needs to be done, so remain focused._ Satisfied that the evidence of his night had been sufficiently cleared away, he went to his makeshift bed and began gathering everything up. 

As the sun’s light and his movements filled the clearing, he heard his companions begin to stir. Razor carefully climbed to her feet, shaking off the ash that had fallen on her during the night. She glanced around her and smiled to Åsmund and Toothless, who was still blinking awake.

Once he was mostly awake, the male dragon smirked and unfurled his wings, directly exposing Hiccup to the fresh sunlight of the new day. The human let out a mumbled groan of complaint at the action, scrunching his eyes up and complaining, “Ugh, even when I don’t sleep in a house, you still wake me up too early.” 

**“Good morning to you too, Mr. Grumpy,”** Toothless teased, lifting Hiccup enough for the tired human to settle his feet on the ground. The Berk chief let out a few, loud yawns, adding in an arm stretch or two, his eyes still closed. The male dragon rolled his head at his human’s overreactions, while Razor merely smiled at them. Åsmund remained focused on packing his gear, but did chuckle as he heard his companions.

The man became startled, however, when he sensed Toothless stroll over to his side. **“Before we head out, let’s have a quick bite. Since you two got the wood last night, Åsmund and I will go get it this morning,”** Toothless explained, lightly wrapping his tail around Åsmund. The human had a protest on the tip of his tongue, but didn’t get the chance to say anything as Hiccup commented. “Sounds like a plan then. We don’t need too much, so don’t be too long.”

“We won’t,” Åsmund answered, finding himself being pulled into the forest with the other two’s eyes on their backs.

Once they passed by the tree line and were out of the other’s sights, Toothless stopped them and immediately asked, **“What happened last night, Åsmund?”**   

“What do you mean? I slept through the whole night,” Åsmund responded quickly, probably too quickly if Toothless’ serious expression was anything to go by.

**“Don’t try that with me. Hiccup and I heard you moving about an hour ago and did not hear you shuffle back to your furs. Your scent gave away that you were afraid. Something terrified you last night, a nightmare most likely,”** Toothless explained, his neutral features a direct opposite to Åsmund’s horrified face. **“Razor remained asleep during all of this, so you don’t have to worry about her trying to interrogate you, but if you don’t reveal to me what happened, I will tell her.”**  

Åsmund slowly schooled his expression, weighing his options as he kept eye contact with Toothless. Whether it was just the naturally piercing shape of his eyes or an actual attempt to hypnotize him, Åsmund found his resolve quickly wearing down.

Crossing his arms to regain some form of control, he relented, “I don’t know if it was a nightmare or a vision. The only details that appeared was a smoky, gray area. Three dragon bodies lay on the ground, possibly Night Furies, along with the shape of one very large dragon body. Near the three Night Fury bodies, there was a lone human body.  In the distance, there were two Night Furies in front of another human and before I knew what was happening, the Furies killed the human at point blank range.” Åsmund drew his gaze down as he concluded the dream, feeling his heart begin to speed up once again. “I woke up before their blast made contact but at that distance, there’s no doubt the human did not survive. It definitely terrified me but what makes it worse, is that I don’t know what any of it means.” 

Toothless stood in shock at what he had heard. He didn’t know what to think about this dream as well, a strange thing for him since he had always been able to help Hiccup when he had nightmares after the Red Death’s death and the loss of his father. While he could only provide comfort because Hiccup couldn’t understand him, but his efforts greatly helped his other half overcome those night terrors.  This nightmare though, having happened just after they had encountered the Night Fury Colony, appeared too timely to just be mere coincidence.

When he could not find come up with anything further than that, he stated, **“I honestly don’t know what it means Åsmund, but if it implies that something is going to threaten the lives of either Razor, Hiccup, or you, know that I will protect all of you with my life. None of you will become those bodies you saw, nor will Hiccup or you be blown apart by those Night Furies,”** Toothless proclaimed, his tone steady.

Åsmund, slowly lowered his arms as he nodded, a small smile seeping across his face. “Are you going to tell Razor about it?”

**“No, this is something you should do, but I will let you decide when the right time will be.”**

Nodding in thanks, the two gathered up a few scraps of wood and made their way back to the camp.  

When the other two disappeared from view, Razor turned her eyes to Hiccup’s and smiled, **“Morning Hiccup, did you sleep well?”**  

“Oh yeah, I slept great. Toothless makes a great bed to sleep against,” he stated, noticing her tilting her head away as if in embarrassment or slightly jealously.  “Something bothering you about our sleeping arrangement?” He asked as he walked towards her. 

**“No,”** she quickly responded, another shade of red flashing on her face. 

“Is my dragoness-in-law jealous of her mates’ other half?” Hiccup teased, smiling as she remained silent. Her composure lasted for less than a minute before she sighed heavily.

**,”** Razor admitted, her eyes locking onto Hiccup’s.

The man’s smile lessened a touch, but he kept his tone positive as he replied, “Toothless feels strongly for you as well. In fact, your conversations sometimes make me want to roll me eyes.” Razor flashed him a light glare, but Hiccup continued, “And I can feel that you two will be together. Hopefully in this lifetime, because I still want you to be my dragoness-in-law.”

Razor rolled her head at his last statement, but found her mood lightening up. **“If this is what I will have to deal with, then maybe I won’t let Toothless consider you part of our family. You’ll just be that crazy dragon man who enjoys meddling in our personal lives.”**

Hiccup laughed at her comment, sombering up in mock fashion when he noticed her attempt at remained serious. “Really? You would keep my buddy and I separated? Now that is just cruel, Razor.” He reached out and wrapped his arms around her neck, immediately jumping away with a scream when his skin made contact with her scales. 

**“Are you alright?!”** Razor asked, her expression morphing into worry, with a trace of guilt escaping in her eyes.

Hiccup shook out his arms, grimacing but trying is best to smile. “Oh god, you’re serious about cutting me out from this family… Sorry to disappoint you, but it’s going to take more than a bit of fire to get rid of me.” Razor tensely smiled to him, and both found their attentions shifted when they heard the other pair break the tree line.

As the other pair approached, Åsmund asked “So what did we miss?” 

“Nothing much.” **“Hiccup demonstrated that I need to give my scales some more time to cool,”** she stated, moving away from them so she could quench her thirst. 

Toothless glanced at Hiccup’s arms and when he noticed the slight burns, his expression morphed into worry. **“Are you alright, Hiccup?”**

“Yeah, don’t worry it,” Hiccup said, smiling widely. “I’ve had worse at the forge.”

Åsmund created another small fire as the two conversed and when he was done, he met the quiet looks of the other two. It didn’t take too much thought for him to realize they were asking if he would tell Razor something was bothering him, so he let out a quiet sigh and nodded. 

Åsmund sat down by the small pit and pulled out the remaining fish they had from last night. Hiccup and Toothless sat around as well, with Razor joining them less than a minute later. She laid down next to Åsmund, gesturing to him that her scales had cooled down enough for him to safely touch her. 

She immediately sensed there was something being kept quiet and turned to Åsmund, asking, **“What’s going on Åsmund?”**

The man didn’t say anything for a moment as he arranged the fish, but stated a moment later with, “Last night, I had a nightmare, well… more like a vison that greatly disturbed me.  Everything was black, grey or white, and I couldn’t recognize anyone or thing.  I saw a large, dead dragon body, a motionless human body, and possibly three Night Fury bodies all laid out on the ground. Ahead of them, were two other Night Furies stalking over to another human, this one was alive. For some reason, the Night Furies shot him with their blasts at point blank range and before I could see anything else, I jolted.”  His body slightly trembled and his voice cracked as he spoke about the dream, his mind protesting at having to review the image so many times in such a short period. 

Razor frowned at the description, pressing her head against his side in an attempt to provide some comfort. **“It is okay, Åsmund,”** she whispered. **“Whatever you saw, it hasn’t happened yet. We are all still here and if we stay focused and together, we might be able to keep that vision from happening at all.”**

Åsmund’s body slowly relaxed as she spoke, but her comfort just led his mind to another painful question. “Razor…” Åsmund started, wondering if this was truly the best time to talk about his feelings about her. When she turned to him with wide, questioning eyes, he continued with, “I need to tell you something.  In regards to what you said when you helped Toothless… If…if you were human…” 

Razor cut him off with a quick lick of his cheek, cutting him off. **“I know where this is going, and you don’t need to say it. When I said that to you, I already knew you felt the same way. If you had not, then I wouldn’t have said it.”** She fixed her eyes with his, closing them slowly and pressing her snout against his forehead. The last action closely simulated how humans would kiss someone else’s forehead.  Åsmund brought his hand up and brushed away the tears that formed after hearing her words.

Razor opened her eyes and shifted her focus down, admitting to him, **“I have missed this Åsmund. The one who shows his emotions freely and without regard to what anyone or anything else says. I hoped that I’d get to see him again, because that one reminds me of our first meeting and the joy we experienced playing with each other.  All those times where we would just be carefree and I would eagerly listen to your stories about your day and the pains you went through.”**

She adjusted her head to comfortably nuzzle against his cheek, absently mindedly feeling like a mother to her distressed hatchling. **“Even though I couldn’t say anything to you at that time, I loved listening to you and being there to help you through it. It helped me more than you know, to be a sort of family member for you, to help you let your emotions out and not keep them bottled in.”**   Her tail slowly twisted up off the ground and wrapped itself around his waist.  **“You’re never going to lose me Åsmund, never forget that.”**

Åsmund felt his tears form once again, but this time let them fall as they were meant to. As he sat there with her presence beside him, he felt the love radiating from her every word and action. Although his mind continued telling him he could never be with her as a mate or wife, she was still everything we would ever need in his life.

“Thank you for this, I really can’t say it enough,” he mumbled through sniffles and some coughs. The four of them suddenly found their noses twitching and when they looked at the pit, they saw the fish had blackened. 

They all shook their heads at being distracted and Åsmund offered the fish to Razor, who immediately snatched it up. The man placed another fish over the fire and this time, they kept a close watch over it.


	16. Earthen Boundaries and Assault

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our pair of riders finally reach the territory of the Earth Fury. Hell hath no fury like an unsoothed Elemental Fury and it is just the beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own the “How to Train Your Dragon” Movies, Animated Series or Book series. Those characters belong to DreamWorks Animation and Cressida Cowell. My original characters are mine and if you wish to use him please ask me first.

_Words typed like this are thoughts in their head_  
Words like this are scenes/locations where it is occurring  
**Words typed like this is Dragonese  
_Words like this are the mental link between Toothless and Razor_**

Earthen Boundaries and Assault

Unknown Island

They sat around for another hour, shifting conversation from speculation on possible forms of attack to the humans giving a more in-depth account of their time in the Colony.

 **“Do try to be a bit more cautious today, you two,”** Razor chastised as Åsmund popped his last piece of fish in his mouth. He exchanged a conspiring smirk with Hiccup, who returned it near perfectly, as they lifted themselves off the ground. “We’ll try,” they both answered, prompting the dragons to roll their eyes as they too began to stand up.

Double-checking that the Soother was within easy reach and the flames were doused effectively with dirt, Åsmund and Hiccup swung unto their dragons and the group took to the sky once more. 

Using the sun as compass, they flew in the direction of the Earth Fury. Contrast with their demeanor from yesterday’s flight, they only managed light conversation a few times before the realization of what they were heading into fully took root in their minds.

Airspace around Earth Fury Island

Around mid-day, they noticed the area below them appear to resemble the part of the map that touched closely with the Elemental Fury’s territory.

“Alright, it looks like we are getting close,” Hiccup commented, his face tightening as he asked, “But how far out does the Fury’s territory reach?”

“I am not too sure. Anything that could escape probably made sure there was at least a three-day distance between here and wherever they finally settled. Anything that couldn’t flee either went into intense hiding, was killed off, or learned how to cohabit the area. We’ll need to find some other signs to gauge how much the Elemental Fury claims.”

  **“Then we better keep a sharp eye out,”** Toothless concluded as they passed over a pair of small islands. A few clumps of trees dotted those areas, but they were too high up to tell if they were saplings or were naturally that way. The rest of the outer islands appeared the same.

As they flew further in, though, they began to notice faint scorch marks in the outer parts of more islands that gradually darkened as the land areas became bigger. Soon, they came upon a whole sliver of terrain whose visible layer contained such dark scorches that the trees and other vegetation growing in the area appeared to be floating in a dark void. Slivers of char expanded out as they continued on, some islands completely blacked out but still sporting some signs of life attempting to regrow. In the harsher areas, the group caught a faint whiff of sulfur that was luckily softened by the light presence of flowering fauna and pollen.   

“I can see why the Colony fled so far out,” Hiccup commented, frowning at the idea of an uncontrollable dragon having so much power. His grip on his saddle tightened as he added, “It’s a wonder anything is still able to grow.”

 **“The plant life might have had seeds that managed to get buried below the top layer of soil. When everything burnt to ash, the seeds grew and used that as their nourishment. Without anything large around here, they were able to grow strong. Once the trees came up, everything else probably followed,”** Razor answered with a slight grimace. Åsmund laid a reassuring hand on the back of her head, eliciting a small smile from her.

While they passed over another string of islands, a green plasma shot suddenly flew between the pairs of friends. The humans let out quiet gasps of shock as their dragons nearly dropped out of the sky from surprise, only managing to catch themselves just before another blast came their way. They dropped out of the way and drew down, eyes and ears scanning everywhere to try and locate the source.

To their slim fortune another blast blazed between them, only this time they were able to calculate that it originated from an island in the distance as they backed off to strategize. 

 **“I guess we found the territory boundary,”** Razor quipped as a final shot trailed behind them. When no more came, they halted and began to plan. 

“Now that we got a distance, we need to map out its entire range,” Hiccup stated. “Patrol around so we can gauge where its entire territory lays and if it shoots more plasma blasts, take note of the direction. It hasn’t confronted us yet, but there’s a high chance it will if we stay around here. If we can figure out where it’s shooting from though, we might be able to intercept it while it’s still grounded.”  

 **“The Fury attacked from a pretty far distance, Hiccup,”** Toothless started. **“Even if we get a general layout, we won’t know what sort of set up the Fury has unless we move further in.”**

“True, and I definitely don’t want to risk us flying in blind,” Hiccup agreed, biting his lip nervously. “Åsmund, do you have something that could help us out with that?”

The other man scowled his face for a moment, but immediately softened as he dug around in his bag, saying, “Yeah. I have a spy glass that should be able to focus that far in. I tested it with Razor’s sight, and it managed to have a slight edge over hers.”

 **“And it only took him twenty times until he got a successful test,”** Razor piped, ignoring Åsmund’s small grin as he pulled out the object and held it up for Hiccup to see.

Everyone nodded in agreement and the dragons cautiously approached in the area the final blast had been sent, flying slightly lower as they focused on the distant island. When nothing happened, they took a few more flaps back and slowly began patrolling around the island.

The two pair of dragon riders circled around the island, purposely flying further into the imaginary boundary every now and then to check whether the Elemental Fury would attack again. So far however, the dragon remained strangely quiet, which only set the group further on edge.

Åsmund kept his spy glass focused towards the island the shots had originated, managing to make out a few large features from their distance. Like the other islands, there were patches of scorched surfaces below heavily forested areas, only a few of the marks sported saplings instead of older trees and the scent of sulfur was noticeably stronger. “Have all of you noticed the stronger smell around here?” he asked.

 **“Yes, and some of the scorch marks are much darker here, as well,”** Toothless replied.

“The Elemental Fury probably hunted here numerous times,” Hiccup suggested. “And might the territory marks we’ve been wondering about. Have you discovered anything else, Åsmund?”

“Not yet… Wait, I think I spot something.” Gently coaxing Razor almost to a standstill, Åsmund steadied out his spy glass as it pointed further into the island. “Yes, the rocky area out there has a few high places, and I see openings all around there. I’m guessing the Earth Fury resides in a cave, but I’m not quite sure since the shots kept coming out from the forest near it.” 

 **“There might be cave openings further down, below the tree lines. Maybe when they sense something, they decide to attack low so that if something does try to retaliate, it will aim straight toward the cave and not notice the Fury below until it’s too late,”** Toothless commented as they resumed their circling.

 **“Since it’s the Earth Elemental Fury, he most likely uses his green coloring to stay hidden under the tree foliage. The Fury most likely tries to shoot down any dragons if they get into range like this, so it doesn’t have to waste energy engaging other dragons head on. I’m not sure though how close we have to be in order to draw him out.”** Razor’s face hardened as she finished, casting a distrustful glance toward the spot they mentioned.

“We do need to test that, but that would mean we would have to engage right away,” Hiccup stated, wiping the sweat from his brow as the midday sun beat down on them. “I’d rather we keep circling around for now so we can find a place to retreat in case something goes wrong. We’ll also keep flying further inside the boundary during some spots. If the Fury does attack us, we can better plan out from where it strikes and whether it moves around or not.”

They continued to fly around the island slowly, testing their luck every now and then to see if the dragon would take their bluff. At one part of their route, a loud roar erupted from the island when they pushed into one of the locations.

The dragons halted and the two humans crouched further down on their friends’ back, with Åsmund carefully putting his spy glass back into his bag and letting his fingers brush the wooden carving. For several minutes, the group remained still and cautious, casting quick glances everywhere around them.

When it seemed like the Elemental Fury would remain hidden, Hiccup whispered to Razor, “Do you sense him anywhere close by?”

The dragon tensely closed her eyes, opening them a few seconds later to say, **“He’s definitely near, but I can’t tell exactly where because his scent and energy are everywhere.”**

“Alright. Åsmund, do you think you can quickly pull out the Soother if the Fury suddenly shows up?” At the other man’s nodding, Hiccup stated, “Then be ready. We’ve been flying for a while now and since it hasn’t attacked us yet, I’m assuming it’s waiting for us to tire out before it attempts to take us head on. If that does happen, we’ll need to evade quickly and observe whether it will follow us or not. Toothless, Razor, do you think you will be able to retreat quickly enough?”

The dragons looked at each other for a second, before Razor answered, **“If you hadn’t noticed by now, our protective instincts take over whenever you two are endangered. So long as you two remain on our backs, nothing will happen to either of you.”**

Flashing a smirk, Hiccup gestured for them to continue on.

For several more minutes the island below them remained still, with a few rustles sending them into defense. When nothing flew out or they caught the faint outline of an animal from where the disturbance had come from, they cautiously resumed their flight. They had nearly completely circled around the island when Hiccup coaxed Toothless to breach the territory boundary, despite their previous attempts since the roar yielding nothing.

Just like the other times, Toothless encroached on the area slowly and his body grew tense as they waited in intense anticipation. Similar to these attempts, nothing happened and the dragon carefully flew back out, unwillingly turning his back toward the island. As he did so, another roar screeched in their ears, its source originating from below them along with loud rustling.

 “Scatter!” Hiccup shouted, just as a shadow flew up at the group.

Without wasting a second, Razor evaded the upcoming dragon by flying up, causing Åsmund to let out a silent groan of pain as his injured hand became jostled once again. At the same time, Toothless dove down with his human and the flying pair retreated.

Not having any time to adjust, the Earth Fury simply slowed his speed and once he completely halted, gazed predatorily at the intruders’ retreating backs.

Noticing they weren’t being followed, the dragons converged a good distance away from the territory boundary. Hiccup and Åsmund looked over their shoulders to the still hovering Elemental Fury, who simply continued to observe them. A moment later, the volatile reptile slowly turned around and headed back down towards its island. 

The group remained silent and ready in case the Fury decided to attack again, but it appeared its purpose was just to scare them out of its territory. “Well, that could have gone better,” Hiccup quipped, straightening up in his saddle. “Åsmund, why didn’t you show the Fury the Soother?”

At first, the man didn’t appear to understand but a second later, his face widened as the question sank in and he took note of his hand still gripping the Soother in his bag. “Heaps of yak shit,” he cursed. “I swore I could bring it out fast enough.” He brought the figure out and stared at it intently, saying, “I just got distracted.”

 **“Yeah, fleeing from a highly territorial, powerful dragon is enough to do that to someone,”** Toothless commented, glancing at the island to once again make sure nothing would pop back out.

“Well, that, but it was also the Earth Fury’s eyes. They were pure white, which differ greatly from Razor’s when she was not calmed.” He shook his head and clenched his fist around the figure, a sharp glint of frustration flashing in his own eyes.

While Razor and Toothless lightly consoled Åsmund for the blunder, Hiccup felt a warning horn softly blow in his mind, his memory immediately flashing to last night. _It’s understandable he would be mad at himself for messing up, but he seems to be feeling it too deeply. Does this always happen when he feels he’s messed up? But then… that doesn’t explain his gaze from last night. What is going on with him?_

When Hiccup refocused to the present, he was thankful that the dragons had managed to calm the other man down, though he still held a tight grip on the Soother.

“It probably wouldn’t have done much anyway,” Hiccup cut in, adding, “The Fury was coming at us at high speed so even if he did see it, it’s highly likely he would have collided with us. You said a Soother’s effect takes place quickly, but that second might not have been enough and there was also the risk of it falling out of your hand and landing either in the water or the forest. At least we know the Fury prefers ambush and the layout of the island. We can use that knowledge to plan and stage an actual assault when we are ready.”

The dragons nodded in agreement and Åsmund gradually relaxed his clutch on the carving. Much to Hiccup’s relief, Åsmund’s eyes softened back out and his expression became familiarly collected. “You’re right. We weren’t really prepared, but we are now. The question is, how soon should we attack back?”    

 **“No sooner until we formulate a plan,”** Razor stated. **“There’s no way I am letting you go back in without some idea on what we are going to do.”**

 They paused in thought for a minute, when Åsmund inquired, “If we go back and attack, which pair do you think he’ll go after?”

 **“What are you planning on, Åsmund?”** Razor asked, her tone weary.

“He can’t defend himself entirely if we are attack him in different directions. If he’s focused on one pair then the other can either stall him enough for me to display the carving, or drive him away if it looks like he might make a hit,” Åsmund calmly explained.

Razor opened her mouth, prepared to exploit the holes and extreme luck they would need to have for the plan to work, but closed it when she noticed the other two were not openly disagreeing with the idea. **“Is there really little else we can do?”** she asked.

“At this point, it seems so,” Hiccup stated. “But Åsmund’s idea has some merit. The Fury seems to only care about protecting his territory so if our attack does fail, we still have a good chance of flying away in mostly one piece. Besides, Toothless and I are used to standing up against anything angry dragons throw at us.”

 **“Much to the worry of everyone,”** Toothless piped in, a small smile stretched across his face.

The Berkian returned the smile, the pair looking to Razor as she sighed and mumbled, **“Alright. At least we have something to follow.”**

“Then it’s decided: We’ll stay close to the border a fair distance apart from each other and enter at the same time to see who the Fury considers more threatening,” Åsmund finalized and looked around to make sure they all agreed.   

They all nodded, with Hiccup adding, “Let’s try to use hand signals and shots to communicate when we enter. Can you handle communicating with your good hand, Åsmund?” The man demonstrated his ease effortlessly, and Hiccup acknowledged with a sharp nod.

With a few comments and confirmation on their signals, they flew back to the island. Once they got close, they setup half a mile apart from each other and signaled when they were ready. 

Without wasting anymore time, the pairs moved into the territory simultaneously and everyone waited with baited breath to see who would be the Fury’s target. They made sure to match their speeds and when it appeared they were about to converge, altered their path so they wouldn’t get hit together if the Fury attacked. For several minutes they repeated this process and almost froze when they heard the familiar shrill of a plasma blast being prepared.

Each pair readied themselves and when they heard the blast released, scattered away. Everyone followed where the sound and heat were aiming for and saw who the Fury targeted: Razor.

The female dragon managed to successfully evade the blast, along with the following shot was at well. To make sure Razor was the target, Toothless and Hiccup flew near the other pair and headed toward where the blast had originated from. The third blast that shot out, despite the Berkian pair being closest, was aimed straight for Razor again.

Having answered their question, the group flew back out of the territory and reconvened close enough to discuss what to do next.

Hiccup started with, “Alright, he’ll attack Razor before Toothless so let’s use that to our advantage. We need to have Razor and the Earth Fury clash enough for Åsmund to show the Fury the carving. If that doesn’t appear it will work, Toothless will engage in strafing attacks so your two can escape and we can weaken the Fury. Hopefully we can calm the Fury before anyone gets injured.” 

Åsmund nodded, adding, “Yes, that will be good, but we should make sure we do not injury him too much.  We still need him for the battle and the least amount of harm we do to him, the better. If we do this right, we can sooth him today, rest back at the island we just came for the night, and be back in Berk the day after.” Toothless and Razor smiled at the idea of being back in two days instead of the three or more they originally planned for.

Hiccup turned his gaze back to the island and noticed the Earth Fury observing them, much to his worry since none of them had noticed him. Before he could alarm the others, though, the dragon turned back around and retreated further into his territory. The other three noticed Hiccup’s distraction and followed the Fury’s movements, their relief paired up with confusion.

“Do you guys notice something about where he is flying?” Hiccup asked, pointing to the spot where the Earth Fury was flying to. No one said anything until Razor stated, **“He’s heading to the same spot as the shots. That must mean he resides in a cave or something near there.”**  

Hiccup nodded, offering with a grin, “So long range bombardment at that location might be enough to draw him out?” Toothless and Razor chuckled in agreement.

“When he flies out,” Åsmund cut in. “We head in with Razor in the lead and Toothless supporting. If it looks like we can’t keep him back long enough, Razor and I will activate ‘Attack Plan Four.’ It’s a stun attack that Razor and I developed where Razor will shoot a close range Elemental empowered shot with lots of light and sound,” Åsmund explained. “Razor’s senses have grown used to the attack and I only suffer for a couple of minutes max, but you two need to be at least 500 feet away when we use it, otherwise you’ll be affected. Once Razor is sure the Fury is stunned, she’ll convey it to the rest of us and we can carry the Earth Fury towards the island and set the Soother in sight.” 

 **“While Razor issues her attack, I’ll blast away any shots he fires at you two. That should distract the Fury long enough for the attack to work, and you will be better protected,”** Toothless finalized, his tone easily displaying his protective manner. He was going to make sure his mate would not be hurt and even though Razor lightly scoffed at his words, her eyes conveyed that she found his promise touching all the same.

With their plans set, the group flew back in and prepared themselves for the Fury’s response to their bombardment.  “Two shots each at the location and wait for him to make our next decision,” Åsmund ordered as Toothless and Razor prepared their shots. 

Both dragons launched their first shots at the targeted wall and were quickly followed by another set. The four shots collided against their target and a moment later, the Earth Fury stalked out from a nearby opening. The Earth Fury didn’t react at their continuing trespass, opting instead to gaze at them with sharp, bright eyes that didn’t stray. When it was obvious the hostile dragon wasn’t going to act according to plan, Hiccup loudly proclaimed to the group, “Again! But this time, aim directly for the Earth Fury!”

The dragons launched another set of shots and focused on the opponent’s limbs and wings, their pupils shirking down into slits as they readied for action. The Fury just crouched down as the blasts came down, but immediately erupted in a roar when the new shots made contact with his body. He remained shrunk down for a moment, a sound almost like a hiss catching the group’s ears. “Get ready,” Hiccup whispered, the volume almost deafening. 

Slowly, the Earth Fury steadied himself and pushed his legs up, his body appearing to grow even larger than what the group had initially seen. His bowed was the last part to be raised and when his steel white eyes focused the group in his vision, they all felt a slight chill run down their spines. With a sudden spike in power as their only cue, the Earth Fury shot up into the air towards the pair he deemed the most threatening.

Between their hasty fallback and a blink, the group saw the Fury had kept his gaze solely on Åsmund and Razor as he circled around. His burst had caused him to shoot past the group so quickly he couldn’t slow down to a halt until he had already covered nearly five hundred meters. 

As they prepared for their next move, Åsmund stated, “Alright, Razor attack plan four, Hiccup and Toothless, support.” Razor smugly warned, **“Try to keep up darling, I’m going to use my powers.”** During their brief pause, the Earth Fury spared a second to gauge their positions, and then quickly flew back down towards them.  Åsmund wrapped his arm around the figurine tucked between his fist and tightened his hold to saddle as he watched the dragon come down, feeling Razor’s power gather below him.

Both dragons extended their spinal fins and once she harnessed the amount of power she desired, bolted right up at the Earth Fury. Toothless followed as best as he could, never letting the descending Earth Fury escape his locked focus. He subconsciously opened the pores inside his mouth that housed the fumes he utilized for his plasma shots, ready to defend Razor and Åsmund should the Fury get too close before she was ready. 

Razor kept her mouth closed, gathering the gas in a way that filled up her whole mouth. She was going to need a lot of fumes in order to create a blast bright and blaring enough to distract her target.

When the distance between them shortened to one hundred meters, the Earth Fury fired a shot at Razor. In a snap, Toothless overpowered the shot with his own blast before it could go near his mate, and she barrel rolled to the right so the prevailing wisps of smoke could not interrupt her vision.

The Earth Fury attempted to knock her off four more times, but each attempt was stopped by Toothless’ own blast. Once the Fury realized Toothless’ counterattacks would not give easily and that the common Night Fury would only attack if he did, he ceased his blasting and just focusing on bulleting toward his intended target.

Fifty meters out, Åsmund picked up a small cue from Razor that their attack plan was almost completed. Nodding slightly, he closed his eyes and silently counted out the seconds to its execution. Sparing a second, she activated her link with Toothless and warned, **_“Toothless, I’m going to initiate ‘Attack Plan Four’ soon. You two need to turn away now so you don’t get caught in the cross blast.”_**

 ** _“Alright. Be careful,”_** Toothless responded, the two cutting off their link. Toothless quickly relayed the information to Hiccup, who merely nodded and adjusted the tail fin. The pair broke left a moment later, closing their eyes when they felt they had halted a fair distance away. Razor finished gathering the gas she needed and tapped further into her power as the Earth Fury continued to barrel towards her. 

Approaching ten meters, she knew the time to begin Attack Plan Four was now if she wanted it to go off without a hitch. 

Taking in last second visuals as the two dragons closed in on each other, she noticed a slight movement with the Earth Fury’s paws. A small shine revealed to her that he had brandished his claws, with their path appearing to aim for her face. In that same time frame, a quick movement of the Earth Fury’s neck accompanied the sight of his sharpened teeth, leading Razor to the assumption that he planned on causing her to evade his claws so she would be in position for him to bite her.

 _“Good effort, my fellow Fury,”_ she thought, steeling herself as the distance shortened to her desired length. _“But I have my own surprise in stored for you.”_

At a five meter distance between them, she cautiously closed her eyes and listened to the Earth Fury’s loud wing beats. Once he was in place, Razor opened her mouth and allowing a few wisps to escape so more could fill its place, ignited the gas. Almost too quick for any human or other dragon to notice, she rapidly expelled the lit fumes out, creating a large explosion with that the Earth Fury’s body could not escape from. Razor quickly spun out of the way, releasing more gas that elicited not only a more powerful blast, but also a large flash of blinding light.

With no time to slow down or turn away from the blast/light combo, the Earth Fury flew right through the cloud of deafening sound and intense light. Barely able to let out a quiet roar of pain, the Fury’s senses became overwhelmed by the onslaught of simulation. Quickly, the Fury’s eyes turned blank and his mind ceased sending commands to his wings.

With little protest, the Earth Fury shut down and his body spiraled down to the island.    

Razor turned her head around and opened her eyes just in time to see the Earth Fury fall from the sky, her attack effectively stunning him. She dove down quickly towards the island, following the body close enough to arrive in time to soften the landing, but far enough that if he recovered too quickly she could still evade attack.

The seconds following the explosion, Åsmund felt the shockwave and had to bite down a small cry as the sound bombarded in his ears. When he opened his eyes after feeling Razor head down to intercept the stunned Fury, he had to hold back another noise of pain as his mind adjusting itself from the stimulation as well. After several blinks he could finally keep his eyes open, but still had not shaken off his disorientation. _“Something doesn’t feel right,”_ he thought.

As Åsmund tried to realign his senses, Hiccup and Toothless heard the blast and felt the shockwave brush against their bodies. Not enough to knock them off, but enough to tell them that they only needed a few more seconds before they could return to the action. Once they heard the sole sound of Razor loudly beating her wings, the pair snapped opened their eyes and turned around, diving towards the female Fury and the Earth Fury.

“Razor...” Åsmund warily whispered, his vision unfocused as he felt his eyes take in multiple views. Gripping the hand clutching the saddle as well as the Soother tighter, he chanced a quick look to the side and noticed the other pair flying to intercept with them. However, he simultaneously seemed to view the sight from a different angle. A downward angle. Lightly shaking his head, he raised his voice and said, “Stop… diving to…I can’t…” 

Razor slowly halted her descent, confusion spread across her face, but willing to trust her friend’s word. From the corner of her eyes, she saw Hiccup and Toothless continue diving towards the falling dragon.  Tapping into her link with her mate, she stated, **_“Regroup, something is up with Åsmund. Break off the grab and bag dive. I’ll head your way.”_**  

Toothless spared a quick look but complied with the statement, opening his wings and allowing the updraft air to halt his movements. 

“What’s wrong bud?”  Hiccup asked as the pair slowed to a halt, frowning at the change of plans.  Toothless turned and flew up towards Razor, answering, **“Razor said something is wrong with Åsmund.  My best guess is that he must have taken too much of the shockwave.”**

Once the two groups met up, Berkians saw Åsmund partially slumped forward on his saddle with a hand pressed against his face. Razor kept softly talking to him, trying to keep him focus in order to prevent him from falling off. 

“Åsmund, what’s wrong?” Hiccup asked, dreading something that may have to stop the assault. 

“Not sure, but my head is spinning,” Åsmund groaned out as he put a hand on Razor’s saddle to keep himself propped up. “And I know if I try to stay in this fight, I have a great risk of falling off my saddle.  Hiccup, I need you to wrap up the Earth Fury with these two sets of bolas.”  Åsmund reached into one of the bags as he quickly continued with, “Razor’s attack did its part, but I strongly suspect the Earth Fury would have recovered enough to cause damage should we have continued trailing so close to him. He probably still won’t be fully recovered, but at least he’ll be weakened enough for you three to bind him.”

As he withdrew the two bolas, he stated, “First, tie his maw. It will keep him from using his plasma shot.  Then, bind his wings.” He felt himself on the verge of a black out, but he pressed on. “Razor, show him where to hit the Earth Fury to disable the plasma shot.” His voice hitched several times as he tossed the two bolas over to Hiccup. 

Hiccup looked at the bolas and grimaced slightly. _I’m going to have to fight an Elemental Fury.  I’ve fought with other dragons before, but not one at this level. Well, first time for everything I guess._  

 **“We need to move now before he fully recovers.  Åsmund, I hate to say it, but the safest place for you is strapped against the saddle. Do your best to strap in and I’ll make sure you hang on** **,”** Razor directed, taking charge of the situation.

Åsmund, too out of it to nod, thrust the Soother as far into his bag as he could and began strapping his suit to the proper places along his saddle. As he did so, the two dragons and their riders flew down towards the Earth Fury Island and caught the falling dragon hitting the water.

 **“Alright, Hiccup pay attention,”** Razor said, lifting her head and bringing a paw up to the underside of her jaw. **“Toothless, bring Hiccup closer over so he can feel this spot. He needs to hit it just right with his fist after he wraps up the Earth Fury’s maw. If he doesn’t, then the Earth Fury will still be able to shoot back.”**  

Toothless brought Hiccup over in the same moment where Åsmund slumped forward unconsciousness, tightly strapped in and nearly sewed into the saddle. Razor slightly shifted her head as she felt Åsmund go limp, whimpering softly in fear of her friend. She startled slightly when she felt Hiccup’s hand press against felt the spot under her jaw, but remained still so he could properly feel the area. 

Hiccup mentally noted the exact spot, its distance from all sides of the jaw line, and pressed in slightly to feel the difference. “Alright, Razor I got it.  So what is the plan?” Hiccup asked with slight trepidation, but otherwise sounding ready to continue.  

 **“We follow the original plan: bag him and tag him into the ground so we can sooth him. Toothless, fire at him as we close in to keep him from shooting at us. If you can, try to knock him out with your own shots. If need be, though, I’ll go claw to claw with him,”** Razor explained. **“When he’s in my claws, Hiccup will need to bind his jaw, disable his shot, bind his wings and break off.  We’ll then fire onto the ground just before he slams into it so we can soften his landing, hopefully.”**  

The Earth Fury slowly rose out of the water, shaking his body as he hovered over and took a moment to gather his senses and strength.   

 **“We have one shot at this.  Work as a team, protect Åsmund and each other, and down this Earth Fury so he will be soothed him,”** Razor loudly and rousingly said. 

“I’m with you there, Razor,” Hiccup proudly agreed, taking the first bola and started to spin it above his head. 

 **“For Berk, for Åsmund and for the future,”** Toothless added before the two Furies dove towards the now ascending Earth Fury.


	17. Calming the Earth Fury

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our heroes and heroine press forward with the task ahead of them. The fury of their enemy has no limit though, just how much can they take before subduing him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own the “How to Train Your Dragon” Movies, Animated Series or Book series. Those characters belong to DreamWorks Animation and Cressida Cowell. My original characters are mine and if you wish to use him please ask me first.

_Words typed like this are thoughts in their head_  
Words like this are scenes/locations where it is occurring  
**Words typed like this is Dragonese**

Calming the Earth Fury

Above Earth Fury Island

Shaking off the last drops of water, the Earth Fury felt his frustration at the interlopers overtake his mind. The group’s first intrusion into his territory was somewhat tolerable, since it has been a long time since any dragon dare disturb his domain and he always found grim satisfaction in seeing large creatures fall.  Their second intrusion, however, had quickly rubbed away any amount of amusement they provided. This final time, these dragons and humans dared best him in his own territory, and actually managed to knock him.

Rage finally took over all of his thoughts and he vowed they will pay for their transgression. Not wanting to leave anything to chance, he began channeling more of his Elemental power into his body to increase all aspects of his power. Inside his throat gas started to gather and swirl inside as his Elemental powers mixed with it, enhancing its strength. 

He spotted them coming closer to him and without any hesitation, fired out two quick shots infused with his elemental power aimed mainly toward the red dragon. These special shots created a special rock whose inner composition was volatile gas. In the insuring expulsion, however, the rock would be indistinguishable from a pure gaseous blast due to the outer gas igniting from the releasing spark, concealing the object in light. Should the rock blast impact anything, the rock would break away and the exposed inner gas would explode, scattering the rocks forward and causing a cloud of them to form.

The results of his shots should distract the two dragons long enough for him to either attack again or make them cautious of any similar attacks, keeping their senses over heightened and less willing to chance any obvious openings for fear of another surprise.

As the Earth Fury expected, the shots were quickly intercepted by the black dragon’s own blast. He smirked grimly, watching the group notice the unveiled rocks just in time for the inner fumes to detonate and scatter the projectiles in every direction.

To their credit, the dragons managed to block the worse pieces from hitting the humans (one of whom who pressed down against the red one’s back for some curious reason) and their more vulnerable areas, but couldn’t completely circumvent the veil of rocks. Rocks with just the right trajectory scratched against the dragon’s body, with the high speeds having the added bonus of heating up the rocks to an uncomfortable temperature to human skin. 

Taking a moment, he extended his claws and strengthened them with his power, instilling energy into them until there were as sharp and durable as iron. He focused his eyes and leaped up toward them, aiming his claws towards the red dragon while leading his jaw towards the slumped over human.

He motioned to complete his attack, but found his body lurching sideways from a small, sudden shot that came from the side. Once he stopped himself, he turned his head and met the sight of the black dragon closing his mouth, swaying a bit in the air but otherwise recovered from the Earthen shot.  

The two circled each other slowly for a moment, the Earth Fury tuning his ear to the red dragon. The human on the black dragon’s back stared at him with determined eyes, his hands holding something that currently escaped the Fury’s knowledge.

He must have been too focused on this dragon because he suddenly felt another impact against his side, this time harder and more solid. Glimpses of red caught his eyes as his body continued to be pushed in the air and his vague attempts to swipe it away resulted in the impactor responding with their own, harsher, swipes.

Without wasting another second, the Earth Fury twisted himself around until the red dragon was no longer pressed against him and slithered out of her range. He smacked his foe with a strong flip of his tail as he passed, and heard the satisfying groan of pain as the extended limb dug a bit into her underbelly.

Hearing the rapid wing beats, he spun around and smacked his head against the black dragon’s own. Too quiet for any ears but his own, the impact elicited an echoing ping that meant nothing to any of his nerves. Judging from the grimace on the black dragon’s face, however, the feeling was not mutual.

He attempted to fly in closer and take care of the human, but was interrupted by the feeling of claws slashing against his thigh. A quick kick from his leg compelled the attacker to draw back, and he chanced to turn away from the black dragon to face the red one once more.

As the other dragon motioned for another clawed strike, he copied the move with his own and their weapons of choice neatly collided with each other. Although the red dragon managed to equally push against him for a second, his strengthened claws overpowered the other pair and the red dragon was forced to pull away.

They didn’t manage to go far before the Earth Fury sliced his claws against one of the red one’s front legs, effortlessly scrapping away four thin lines of scales running down diagonally. Despite the coloring, the red dragon’s blood easily shone against their scales. He couldn’t hold back a small roar of triumph, not even caring when the black dragon suddenly clung to his back and began trying to bite at his neck. The Earth Fury simply dodged each attempt, hearing the human shouting out something to the black one.

The pair twisted around in that position for a while, the Earth Fury doing his best to shake off the biting foe. While he found little trouble with the efforts at the biting, a sudden touch from something soft near his neck seemed to switch something on in his mind.

With renewed vigor, he gave a powerful push against the other dragon with his back legs but didn’t bother to try and scratch the other as he flew away. Before he could make sense of the sensation, the red dragon collided with him again, only his distraction finally cost him the upper hand.

While the intruders had been attacking him from the sides, the red dragon managed to sneak up under his body and push up against him hard enough to through him off balance. As he staggered in the air, the red dragon kept knocking against him so much that even when he did manage to right himself back up, it only took a second for them to do it again. It didn’t help that the black dragon did the same thing as well, adding in a small blast when they saw an opening.

During the struggle, he felt the red dragon’s claws grab onto his paws and harshly tighten their hold. The hold itself did not elicit any pains, but their grip was strong enough to lock them together paw-to-paw. His continued attempts to pull away or kick them away only encouraged the red dragon on, who managed to flip them enough where they had the advantage of gravity in holding him down.

He drew his head back, readying another Earthen shot, when he felt something thin start wrapping around his snout and mouth. Unusually panicked, he twisted his body in all directions to try and evade off to the side, but the black dragon used their tail to harshly knock him back to whatever the constraint was. Despite his best efforts, the thing around his mouth continued to tighten until it felt like it might cut into his skin. There was a quick moment where the thing tightened into an almost unbearable level, but slightly relaxed as the black dragon shifted off to the side.

Before the Earth Fury could fully make sense of what had happened, the black dragon slammed into the side of him and he felt the soft touch from before lay against the underside of his jaw. With his front legs immobilized, his mouth tied down, and his position giving him zero chances of escape, he could only mumble out a roar of anger as the touch seemed to search for something.

A few moments later, the light touch quickly drew back a bit from a spot but returned, much harder, to hit something in the middle of the underside of his jaw. He expelled a muffled roar of the pain, not feeling the touch move away nor sensing the grip on his paws loosened slightly.

The three intertwined dragons started spiraling down towards his island as he tried to make sense of what was happening. He caught the black dragon separate from the group while the human on its back began to swing something above their head, calling out something to the other dragon.  

He felt the grip around his paws almost give away before another wave of pain hit as the same thing binding his mouth starting to wrap around his wings. A body pressed up against him as the tightness repeated itself until he couldn’t move his wings any long. 

Thoughts of vengeful rage consumed his mind as he felt the red dragon release him and the black dragon move out of the way. Suddenly, the feeling of falling took hold and he struggled to regain any movement from his wings or mouth. The ground moved closer in his vision and he was forced to realize that he had no way of stopping himself from stopping or even slowing down.  He spun around in time to notice the two dragons execute a steep dive aimed right down after him. 

Any vague sentiment such as hope was lost as he realized that he was falling too fast for them to do anything.

He cursed to himself as he spun himself back around, trying once again to work on getting the bindings off of his jaw and snout as the ground continued to rush towards him. To his relief the thing around his jaw loosened enough for him to toss it aside, and instinct kicked in as he began gathering his gas and elemental power inside his throat. 

He pointed his jowl towards the ground and consciously motioned to ignite and launch it, but widened his eyes in shock when nothing happened. The power still hummed in his body and gas continued to flow, but he could not get either to provide the necessary spark he needed. The ground continued growing closer and he could think of only one other option. 

Tapping into his power, he coaxed the energy to wrap around and fortify his body with iron, same as what he applied to his head during the tussle with the black dragon, but much stronger. He braced himself for the inevitable impact and vowed not to let fear be his last emotion. 

His focus on the ground was shifted as two blasts blew past him, their clean avoidance of his body too perfect to be simple misses.  Instead, he saw the explosions impact the ground and felt a small pressure wave grow from the explosion. The resulting force slowed his falling enough where the impact wouldn’t be bone crushing, but fast enough to know the pending impact would still be painful. He shut tightly his eyes as a rock layer quickly formed around his body seconds before he slammed hard into the crater made from the previous blast.

After a flash of immense pain, he felt his body suddenly shut down as he caught the stoneskin slowly fall off his body. While he recognized the sound of the rocks breaking like a familiar lullaby, he just remained oblivious to its quiet sounds, the mere thought of movement sounding like an impossible task.

Consciousness faded as the Earth Fury saw the faint outline of the human from the black dragon carefully move down into the crater with something in his arms. His senses cut off just before he could see what the object was. 

Nearly an hour later, the Earth Fury groaned loudly and slowly, his senses began screaming awake. Once his head no longer felt like something was throwing boulders against it, he opened his eyes and immediately caught the glimpse of the item that was in the human’s hands earlier lying on the ground.  

When his vision focused on the strange item, his whole being began feeling different. Inside his mind, the rage and hatred that he possessed for over sixty years started flowing out.  The longer his eyes focused on the item, the more his mind cleared and a sense of self he never conceived of began propagating within his mind. 

Another groan escaped his maw as his body stirred, his pupils slowly appearing again in his pure white eyes. He heard a noise… no, a voice for seemingly the first time since… well, he couldn’t remember when. As thought returned to him, he could finally make out what the voice was saying.

“This is taking a lot longer than when you calmed, Razor.  I wonder if the amount of time you’ve been an Elemental Fury correlates with how long it takes for calming,” a… human (yes, the voice has to be a human!) said as the Earth Fury listened. 

 _That’s right; I’m an Elemental Fury, more specifically the Earth one.  It makes sense now, this is what I’ve been waiting for and been told about at my birth,_ the Earth Fury thought as more of his mind became calmer and clearer to think.

Taking a little more time to compose himself, which took half an hour though he couldn’t tell, the Earth Fury slowly lifted his head up and proclaimed, **“It is good to finally think on my own for once after all these years**.”

Looking up, he saw the red dragon he seemed so keen on eliminating from earlier, and her human that had not been active during their last engagement sitting on top of a saddle (saddle? Yes, that is the right word! Saddle). The black dragon was standing next to the red one, but his human was standing much closer to him than the others and did not seem to lean forward as the sitting human was doing. A few steps in front of the group and between them and the object which had stolen his attention as soon as he opened his eyes.

Grateful for whatever this group had done to restore his mind; he bowed his head down in thanks. The human in front returned the gesture, though obviously he did not seem to understand what he had said earlier. The human moved over to the sitting one and they conversed quietly for a moment.

The standing one took a small step forward and said, “We are glad to see you are alright. Honestly, we were not trying to gravely injure you, but it was the only way.”

Before the Earth Fury could add anything, even if it fell on two deaf ears, the humans turned to each other once again and the sitting one talked quickly to the standing one. Understanding dawned on his newly cleared mind, and he asked, **“How are you able to understand me, human?”**   

 **“I gave the human on my back the ability to understand dragons and our history after we stopped a human-dragon war,”** the red dragon answered to the Earth Fury and appeared ready to launch into what she meant.  

 **“I think introductions are in order first, Razor,”** the black dragon gently interrupted her, eliciting an embarrassed expression on her face.  **“My name is Toothless. I’m the Alpha of my island Berk,”** the black one stated, **“I am also the Night Fury that will become the Lightning Fury. This wonderful dragon beside me-”** the female shook her head at the description **“-is Razor the Fire Fury and my mate. On her back is her rider, Åsmund and the other human is my rider, Hiccup.”**  

The Earth Fury looked at Toothless with awe and wonder as well as Razor. **“We are on a quest to find all the Elemental Furies and bring them together to fight against Loki and Hel in order to stop Ragnarök.  Do you remember your name?”**  

The Earth Fury looked away and stared up to the sky, gently closing his eyes. Memories began flooding his mind, some from the previous three Earth Furies, some from his live before his change, a fading sensation of the last rage filled years, and… his name! **“Yes. It is Ađalsteinn,”** he answered, slowly opening his eyes and lowering his head. **“First off though, I would like to gravely apologize for my behavior. I know the situation couldn’t be helped, but I still feel proper apologies are in order. Secondly, I have a message and information for all of you.  It is one of my tasks given to me by the gods. They foresaw a human and Elemental Fury working together would be the ones that require this information. I just never expected it to be two humans and two Elemental Furies.”**   He looked back at his bound wings and then back to Hiccup. **“But first, can you please take this contraption off of my wings? I’d like to be able to move them again.”**

Hiccup shook his head in embarrassment at the realization that he had forgotten about removing the bindings after the Earth Fury started to sooth. He closed the distance between them, his left leg strangely metal, and moved up onto Ađalsteinn’s back and cut the bolas off. Hiccup made sure nothing was damaged during the fight and once he saw Ađalsteinn move them without any hint of pain, slid back onto the ground.

As Ađalsteinn carefully stood up, he noticed Hiccup’s hand hovering in a questioning manner. Giving it a quick thought, the Earth Fury nodded and felt the human begin softly petting him. After over thirty years of everything running away from him and not overly caring about comfort, the simple sensation sent his senses into bliss. He could dimly hear the newly identified Åsmund curiously repeat most of his words just loud enough to catch Hiccup’s attention.

 _Hiccup must no possess the same understanding of Dragonese as the other one. A bit of a shame, but maybe he has his own way of translating that works well enough._  

Hiccup’s voice managed to drag him back down to awareness as he asked, “So what do you need to tell us and does it help with our quest?” 

Ađalsteinn leaned slightly further into the soothing touch, halting when he noticed the gaze he was receiving from the other Elemental Fury. _Protective dragons, I see._ Respectfully pulling back but still within Hiccup’s reach, he answered, **“Right well, I have two things that can help.  Information on the Soother for the Air Fury, and the Soothers for the Lightning Fury.”**

Toothless and Razor quickly glanced at one another and then looked back at the Earth Fury. Deadpanned, Razor stated, **“You said Soothers for the Lightning Fury.  Toothless has two Soothers?”**  

Ađalsteinn nodded and sat down, gently pushing off Hiccup’s hand.  **“Yes. You see, when I was being reborn I was given all information about the Soothers for the Air and Lightning Furies. I am the sole Soother for the Air Fury, the Earth Fury has always been the Air Fury’s Soother it seems,”** he started as the pair continued looking at him in amazement, continuing. **“While the Lightning Fury has two Soothers. The two will always be close to him in his life, but one will always be his mate. If both Soothers are not nearby when he changes, then he can never be calmed.”**  

Everyone’s eyes widen at the revelation of not only Toothless needing a second Soother, but who one would always be.  Said dragon turned and looked directly at Razor as she processed the information.  Åsmund immediately spoke up, “That can’t be right. Razor is Toothless’ mate, and I have yet to feel the presence of a Soother in her.  I can feel Hiccup, this figurine we have and the presence in you, but not her.” 

Ađalsteinn looked at Razor and back to Åsmund, retuning his gaze back to Razor. **“She is his Soother, at least for one part. You don’t feel it in her because in order for her to complete the other part, she has to fulfill from the prophecy. Trust me though, she is one of his Soothers.  In fact,”** Ađalsteinn leaned in and sniffed at her claim mark and smiled. **“The Lightning Fury himself also seems to be blocking it.  His bite has some magic mixed in with it. That is most likely why you don’t feel her being a Soother and part of the reason she is his Soother.”**  

Razor looked at her mark and carefully started to probe it with her mind to see if she could feel out this magic. Ever so slightly she felt it, but it took a lot of focus in order to even sense it.  She turned her gaze back towards Ađalsteinn and stated, **“It’s barely there, but I do feel it.”**

Toothless asked Ađalsteinn, “ **Why do I need two Soothers?”** Åsmund frowned at the thought of the idea. In all this time traveling to other Sea Kings and Queens, none had ever spoke of the Lightning Fury needing two Soothers.

 **“It’s because he is the strongest Elemental Fury.  The Lightning Fury power dwarves all of us other Elemental Furies combined. With the amount of hatred and rage he receives, it requires two Soothers to Calm him enough,”** Ađalsteinn replied, shuddering before slumping down slightly as exhaustion from the fight hit him.  Everyone moved towards him to check on him, but he shook his head at them, insisting, **“Right now all of you need to return home and prepare for Toothless’ changing as he will undoubtedly begin to change quicker now that I have calmed.”**  

He motioned for Razor to approach and despite Åsmund’s continued sour expression, complied. When they were close enough, he pressed his head against hers and transferred some knowledge on protection wards.  Razor reciprocated the action by giving him the location of the Water and Air Fury, where to meet up before the final fight, and where the final fight was to take place.

As they moved away, Åsmund quickly started, “Wait a minute, a couple of questions for you, Ađalsteinn.  First, do you now have a mental link with Razor, since I assume you two just used magic to give each other information? And second, in your memories, do you know anything about an extended precursor stage because Toothless has been in it for well near eighteen years?” 

Ađalsteinn closed his eyes and searched his memories to see if the gods had given him anything on that and even after searching through anything about this mental link Åsmund wondered about, he replied, **“The answer to both questions is no, unfortunately. Nothing in my memory explains the extended precursor stage or even this mental link you speak about.  Both seem to be rare or non-existent to any of my predecessors nor is it in the knowledge given to me by the gods.”**

Still looking saddened but partially content at the tired dragon’s efforts, Åsmund nodded tightly. Hiccup, still sitting beside the Earth Fury, carefully watched the exchange and found relief when the information didn’t elicit the strange anger he had seen in Åsmund as the other man quickly translated everything. Suddenly curious, he reached over and picked up the wooden carving, setting it in Ađalsteinn’s gaze and asking, “So, do you now any specific reason why this is your Soother? It seems a lot of the Elemental Furies have each other or other living things as theirs, so why do you think yours are different?”

 The dragon titled his head at the question, staring at the figurine with great interest before replying, **“Since the time of the first Elemental Furies, those of us who become the Earth Fury have always used a representation of the Nine Realms to be our Soother. Carvings or other objects depicting the World Tree or any of the creatures that reside directly on the Tree are the most common Soothers that fulfil this function.’**

**“It is possible, though, for a human to represent this aspect as well. Woodworkers who specialize in these symbols are a prominent example. Although, their influence does not necessarily have to be physical. Barbs with an excellent voice for singing the ballads of Yggdrasil or anything having to do with the Nine Realms along with a great passion in their practice could also act as a Soother.’**

**“In this case,”** Ađalsteinn stared intently at the carving, a glint of sadness resting in his pupils while the corner of his mouth twitched up slightly. **“The carving itself was not initially the Soother. It was the carver themselves who was the Soother. Unfortunately, the carver died but the life energy from them latched itself onto the last carving they had commissioned, which is the object you are holding in your hands now.’**

**“If I may say so, this is most likely their best work and I am fortunate this is how they will be remembered.”**

Åsmund quickly began translating everything to Hiccup, who looked down at the carving with new found respect. As the other man wrapped up with the last line, the Berkian pulled out a long string from one of the numerous pockets located on his suit. With a few quick ties and knots, he held up the carving, now tightly bound with the string in the center of the Tree’s trunk, up for Ađalsteinn to see. “I am sure the carver would feel proud of the praise you give them for this work.”

Ađalsteinn looked over the work for a few seconds, his smile stretching a bit further. He pushed out his neck and without a word, Hiccup carefully slid the newly made necklace onto the dragon.

 **“I hate to leave so soon,”** Razor started as Hiccup double checked that the knots would hold. **“But Toothless should be changing in about four days so we should get back to Berk.”**

 **“Yes, but you are welcome to visit us at Berk after you get the Air Fury, if Hiccup has no objections,”** the Dragon Alpha said, seeing Hiccup nodding his consent. **“Then I hope to see you soon. Please be safe Ađalsteinn.”**  

 **“You four as well, but before you go.”** For the first time since he woke up clear and in control, Ađalsteinn looked at them with downcast eyes. **“There is…was… a colony that I was around when…well…were there any survivors?”**  

 **“There were, and currently are, survivors. We can discuss this more later, if you wish,”** Toothless answered, face falling as the other dragon let out a long sigh.

 **“Thank you, for everything. If you will excuse me.”** With a final farewell, Ađalsteinn stood up and after giving his wings a few experimental flaps, took off into the air toward the cave that he sheltered him for the past sixty years.

Trying to lighten the air after the other dragon’s departure, Razor said to Åsmund, **“Let us get back to the Meeting Island today and rest there. I need to regain my powers before we head too far out, and he sure put up quite a fight.”**  

“He sure did,” Hiccup agreed, hopping onto Toothless’ saddle.

The dragon lightly rolled his head, saying, **“Razor and I did most of the physical work. I don’t see what you are complaining about.”**

“Well sorry if some of us weren’t born with wings and claws. And I did do something, you useless reptile.” For his quip, Toothless just let out a smirk and when the group took to the air, took a moment to barrel dive and spin around down to the water.

Over the shouts of Hiccup’s protest, Åsmund quietly chuckled and said to Razor, “I’m sorry I wasn’t much help this fight. I don’t know why Attack Plan Four affected me so much. It’s never done so in the past. If I hadn’t realized it in time, I could have-”

**“Don’t. I don’t want to hear you blame yourself, or worry about dying. We’ve gone over this tons of times: I won’t let anything happen to you and you’ve gone above and beyond what was needed to get things. So for now, just enjoy that everything turned out alright.”**

Silenced, but relieved at her encouragement, the pair calmly continued flying and were joined minutes later by the Berkian pair. Their faces were currently stuck into grins, which immediately spread to Razor and Åsmund.

With thoughts of return and rest for the night, the group flew on as the sun slowly touched the horizon.


	18. Reconcile among Partners

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our two dragon riders rest up after their tense fight with the Earth Fury, but something seems off about Asmund and it's getting hard to pin down what that something is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: I do not own the "How to Train Your Dragon" Movies, Animated Series or Book series. Those characters belong to DreamWorks Animation and Cressida Cowell. My original characters are mine and if you wish to use him please ask me first.

Notes on how my writing style will be below:

_Words typed like this are thoughts in their head_  
Words like this are scenes/locations where it is occurring  
 **Words typed like this is Dragonese**

* * *

 

Reconcile among Partners

Unknown Island

Close to thirty minutes after the sun had fully set below the horizon, the group touched down on the island they had camped at previously. Even with the moon's full light, though, they landed a bit further away from Razor's pit than they desired, but were thankful nonetheless that the dragons managed to fly them back this far. After almost a whole day of flying and going claw to claw with the Earth Fury, Razor needed a recharge in a quiet location.

" **I know this was a long flight, but I figured it was better if we arrived somewhere old instead of going through the hassle of resetting a camp,"** Razor stated, discretely helping a still dazed Åsmund off the saddle. She grew worried as the man simply patted her neck softly, no outward sign of his usual displeasure whenever she assisted him. Deciding to chalk it up to extreme exhaustion, she let the matter go and added, **"We'll** **fly** **back to the colony tomorrow** **and tell them the Elemental Earth Fury is** **calmed."**

Hiccup swung off his saddle as well, looking over Åsmund in concern. After a moment of thought, he moved towards Åsmund and asked "Åsmund are you sure you'll be alright? You were out for a while and I noticed you were holding tightly onto the saddle on our way here."

Åsmund nodded slowly as he turned away and started removing two of the saddle bags containing his camping stuff. "I am sure. This isn't the first time Razor and I have done that move, though admittedly we did fly around a whole lot more than during our practices." He carefully set down his bags and began removing his gear. "A few hou-"

His voice suddenly broke into a startled cry as he fell to his knees, Razor immediately spinning around and looking him over while Hiccup and Toothless moved closer in. They halted a few feet away so the other man could still breathe, but were ready to spring into action if Åsmund appeared on the verge of collapse.

Razor nuzzled her rider and licked his back, blowing off her rider's insistence that he was fine. **"Åsmund, the last time we did that move was over two years ago. Your body is** **most likely no longer used** **to** **Attack Plan Four since it's been so long. That** **is why you're feeling horrible,"** Razor softly stated, helping him sit back up. When he tried standing though, she immediately pushed him back down.

"Take a rest Åsmund, the three of us can handle things. I promise," Hiccup said, taking out the axe from one of the bags. "Toothless and I will get lumber for Razor's pry for tonight. If you insist on helping, you will have to take it up with Razor."

" **And you know how that normally works out, Åsmund,"** she simply stated, not bothering to hide her smile as the man frowned at his treatment. Instead of protesting like he normally would, he just looked down to his feet.

The Berkians nodded to the other pair and moved into the forest, leaving Razor and Åsmund alone. After looking over her human for a moment, Razor said, **"Why don't you help me sweep out ash from last night and then we can hunt something to eat."**

"Wouldn't it be quicker for one of us to do each task?!" Åsmund snapped, flying up to his feet and ignoring Razor's stunned expression. As he stalked over to the pit, he continued with, "Any deer out here are foraging around but when they hear Hiccup and Toothless start chopping down some trees, they retreat further into the island and that just means we will have to spend more time tracking them."

He ceased his ranting when his feet stopped at the edge of the pit's outline, and he immediately cursed to himself for forgetting to at least grab the bag that contained his small shovel. He violently kicked at the edge of the pit, letting out a small scream of annoyance before carefully bending down as he brought up his healing hand to his face.

Before he could attempt to hold back his frustration at himself, he felt something falling next to his side. Peeking to the side, he saw it was the bag containing the tool he needed with Razor's staring down at him behind it. He withdrew his hand and lifted his eyes up to Razor's.

Åsmund stared at his beloved friend for a long moment, turning away when he could no longer take the overly concerned look in her eyes. The hand came back up to his face, and he prepared himself for one of her usual lectures about how he took failures too close to heart, that he needed to relearn his limits, and how no matter what Razor would never view him as useless.

Much to his shock and confusion, Razor merely stated, **"You're right. I should focus on retrieving some food instead of making sure my bed is clean. Besides, you will probably be able to clean it out better than I can. Just be sure to pace yourself."**

Without another word from either of them, the female dragon gracefully slipped into the forest and Åsmund was left alone. He numbly pulled out his small shovel and carefully slid into the pit. The moon had managed to creep high enough to cast a small amount of light into the ground's indention, so he began shoveling out the old ash.

He went a lot slower than usual, but appreciated it as he took a short break and noticed how much old ash he had managed to shovel out. His clothes and skin were covered in ash, but didn't worry since he knew it could be easily washed out.

Leaning back against the short walls, he looked up along the path Razor had taken when she entered the forest and half expected her to have been there the whole time to make sure he was alright. All that greeted his sight, though, was the dim outline of trees and foliage.

"She really didn't stay to keep an eye on me," Åsmund mused out loud, returning back to his task. "She said she was going hunting and she did. Didn't argue that I shouldn't be alone right now or say I shouldn't be doing anything." He tossed out a shovel of ash. "Just agreed and left me here by myself, shoveling out ash in the dark."

After a few more minutes, he shifted so that he could inspected the area. He nodded to himself when he saw that he had shoveled out most of the ash and carefully slid out of the pit, wondering out loud, "Why did she let me do this on my own when she normally fusses over me whenever I just get a scratch?"

" **You looked like you needed some time to yourself,"** a familiar but sudden voice answered.

Choking back a yell of shock as the unexpected reply nearly caused him to fall back into the pit, Åsmund looked up meet the humorous eyes of Razor. Laying at her feet were two deer, their bodies covered in shadow but still visible enough for him to notice they were good sized game. _How did she sneak up on me like this? I didn't hear any rustling or her dragging the deer here?_

Knowing it would be useless to brush his reaction off, he let out a small sigh and asked, "How long have you been standing there?"

" **Not too long,"** Razor stated, bending down to fix her mouth around the deer's necks and dragging them closer to him.

When she dropped the deer next to the edge of her pit, he slowly bent down and took out some rope. Tying the pieces around one of the animal's back legs, he said, "I am sorry for snapping at you earlier. I know you were just worried about me, especially since I was not appearing well after your attack."

He gestured towards a small tree and together, they lifted up the animal and moved it below one of the branches. While Razor kept the creature's neck in her mouth, Åsmund tossed the rope over the branch and pulled the end of the material down. Once they got the deer at the right height, the human tied the long ends around the trunk.

" **Your apology is accepted. Although, you did have a valid point about me hunting. I was ready to pounce on these two when I heard Toothless blast some trees down. They were about ready to sprint when I knocked them down."**

Åsmund looked up to Razor's soft eyes, hers searching his for any show of his frustration from earlier. His face softened as he pulled out a knife and moved toward their dinner, telling her, "I'm sure they wouldn't have gotten very far before you caught up to them." He made a deep cut in the areas below the deer's hooves. "You're the fastest dragon I know."

Smiling at his praise, Razor sat on her back legs and watched as Åsmund expertly dug more cuts into the proper areas. **"Yes, I am, though I can't exactly phase through trees. Wouldn't that be something: the great Elemental Fire Fury, crashing into a tree while trying to take down deer! Toothless and Hiccup would never let me live that down."**

After making sure he had cut everything properly, Åsmund carefully pulled down the deer's skin, adding, "And I would make sure that anytime someone does mention how fast you are, I tell them about your unfortunate encounter." Rolling her eyes, but smiling widely, Razor watched the human place the skin over a very long branch before beginning to cut at the meat.

The two remained in comfortable silence for several minutes, broken by the arrival of Hiccup and Toothless entering with the needed lumber. They looked over at the other two and smiled widely as they passed, dropping most of their burden by Razor's pit and taking some for the campfire.

"Looks like hunting went well," Hiccup commented, arranging the wood in the center of the previous campfire's area.

" **Yes, it did, despite some human and dragon alerting half the population that we were here,"** Razor teased. **"You are lucky I was able to pounce on them before they took off into the forest, otherwise it would have been fish for dinner again."**

The targeted pair tucked their head down in slight embarrassment, Hiccup gesturing where Toothless needed to fire a small blast in order to light the fire. With practiced ease, the Night Fury complied and the area of beach the group occupied lit up in a soft, fiery glow.

Leaving Hiccup to tend to the fire, Toothless walked over to Razor and softly nuzzled his head under hers. His mate let out a quiet purr of content at his gesture, gently shooing him off towards their deer so he could move it towards the fire. As Toothless did so, Åsmund finished cutting the meat and with Razor's assistance, carefully set the parts on the skin and dragging it over.

With night deepening and exhaustion stilling their motivation, the humans carefully set their pieces of meat over the fire and made sure they didn't over cook the outside. Razor and Toothless, however, simply placed their deer between them, taking deep but careful bites so neither one took more from the other.

As the humans began eating their cooked meat a while later, Åsmund glanced over to the dragons and asked, "Are you sure one deer is enough for both of you? You two did go claw to claw with an Elemental Fury today."

Razor edged closer to Åsmund and nuzzled her snout into his side, replying, **"** **We'll be fine** **, but if I** **really** **need more I'll go** **hunt some fish later. Though maybe in the morning since we should tell Ívarr about what happened and it's getting late enough as it is.** **"**

"I highly doubt Ívarr would be out looking for us," Hiccup stated. "He has a colony to watch over, so our best bet is catching Sigurd or one of the other Night Furies while they're on patrol. Njörðr would be ideal, but she's probably been taken off patrol so she can focus on her eggs."

While Hiccup and the dragons quietly chatted, Åsmund thoughtfully chewed on his meat, thankful that he had not suffered any more pains or distortion. _I did not_ _expect to_ _engage in_ _two aerial fights in such a short period of time. I_ _anticipated_ _we might be_ _a bit_ _rusty since we haven't practiced that_ _move_ _in such a long time_ _, but not how badly it would affect me. At least everything turned out well this time, but who knows what would have happened had Razor done it during the final battle_ _. I hope the final battle will be easier for us_ _, otherwise_ _I doubt I_ _can_ _take one of Razor's stun attacks like that again._

" **Åsmund,"** Toothless called out, snapping the man out of his thoughts. **"How are you feeling right now?"**

He let out a small smile and answered, "Much better than I did earlier. I told you guys I would be alright after some rest and food."

" **From what I remember, you did not get a chance to say any of that before you nearly collapsed to the ground,"** Razor calmly stated, devouring the last bit of her share of the deer. The human lightly blushed, turning back down to his meat with more intensity than was needed.

Toothless quietly chuckled at the human's expense, and Hiccup hoped his smile looked genuine enough as he focused on Åsmund's eyes. To his relief, there wasn't anything ominous in them at all. "Well I don't know about you guys, but I am pretty filled up. If any of you want more deer, there's still plenty left," Hiccup offered, moving toward the mostly cooked pieces and carefully placing them in one of the bags.

"I am pretty full myself," Åsmund responded, biting and chewing off the last of his piece before turning to Razor. "Rest of the deer is yours and Toothless' if you want it."

Neither human had overlooked how intently the dragons had looked over to their portions, obviously desiring a few more portions to replenish all the energy they lost during all the activity today. Much to the humans' relief, the dragons merely thanked them and began finishing off the venison that was left.

While the pair contently filled themselves up, Åsmund leaned back and took in the sounds of the insects and other nocturnal creatures awakening around the island with Hiccup smiling at the peaceful moments with his best friend and new ones.

Once the rest of the deer meat was gone, Åsmund reached over and scratched behind one of Razor's ears, softly saying, "I'm going to sleep. Will you or Toothless be able to take care of getting your bed lit?" The female dragon gave him a lick in reply. "Alright then, I'll see you in the morning."

When he only brought out one of his soft blankets though, Razor's face scrunched up as stated, **"You're not sleeping out in the open again, not after what happened today."** She nudged the slightly retreating man with her snout. **"You're going to sleep in my wings tonight."**

Next to her Toothless shook his head and tried to argue with, **"You really should recharge some tonight just to be on the safe side. I can keep both of them warm tonight** **if that's what you are worried about.** **"**

Razor looked at her mate and angrily huffed at him. **"I can wait** **until we get to Berk for a** **recharge. I'm in no danger of getting too low** **before we make it there** **."**

Toothless readied a retort, but Hiccup placed a soft hand on his friend's side, saying, "One thing I've learned with Astrid is that sometimes the best argument you can have is to not have one at all. If she doesn't mind forgoing a night of recharging in order to make sure Åsmund will be alright, then just let her be, Toothless."

The regular Night Fury still appeared like he wanted to say something, so Åsmund quickly added, "I know you two went through a lot of work to make sure she would have enough wood for tonight, but it's not worth getting on the bad side of an Elemental Fury. We'll rest here tonight and tomorrow, why don't you two head back to Berk to ready a pyre for her? With any luck, our meeting with one of the colony furies will go smoothly and we'll fly straight back to Berk."

Toothless still didn't appear completely willing with the new plan but after a moment of thought, simply nodded his consent and readied himself for the night. Hiccup gave a comforting stroke to his friend, saying, "It will be fine. This way, we can have some time to make sure Berk is still in one piece and we can figure out how to prepare you for your change, since we can't rest our chances on there being enough storms powerful enough to help you cope after you change. Plus, it will also give Astrid less of a reason to punch me for being gone for so long."

The male dragon let out a small laugh, both knowing that would be the least of his problems when she found out how much danger he put himself in. Astrid may have been alright with the two of them exploring and helping out friends, but leaving her out of any sort of major fight or confrontation was an unspoken taboo.

Without another word, the dragons settled themselves down and opened up their wings. The humans carefully settled next to their dragons and after a few quiet 'Goodnights,' the four of them quickly fell asleep to the soft sounds of the night.


	19. The Journey Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the morning after the fight of the Earth Fury and our heroes and heroine begin their trip home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own the "How to Train Your Dragon" Movies, Animated Series or Book series. Those characters belong to DreamWorks Animation and Cressida Cowell. My original characters are mine and if you wish to use him please ask me first. Razor is based off a series of artists doing a red version of a night fury, I am calling her a Fire Fury or the unholy spawn of Fire and Death.

_Words typed like this are thoughts in their head_   
Words like this are scenes/locations where it is occurring   
**Words typed like this is Dragonese**

* * *

The Journey Home

Unknown Island

The next morning quietly introduced itself in the form of the sun blazing down its rays on Razors' back, and her body responded by rousing up her resting mind. After stirring around slight, she slowly opened her eyes and waited for her focus to stabilize the underside of her wings. As her pupils adjusted to the darkness, she could make out the outline Åsmund still fast asleep against her.

He appeared highly comfortable in his position and she never felt him stir while they slept, meaning even his dreams allowed him peace now that the stress of the pass few days were over. Razor held a tiny temptation to just let him continue sleeping, but that temptation was too tiny to entertain and she knew he would complain about it on the basis of principle.

Without another thought, she moved her head slowly back a bit to wake up some of the nerves and then leaned back forward, licking his head gently. He slowly stirred and pressed his face against her chest, mumbling incoherent words to her flesh.

" **Come on sleepy head,** **wake up. There's a lot we have to do today, and none of that can get done** **if you're in my wings all day,"** she teased, adopting a tone she's heard dragons use with their uncooperative hatchlings.

"Ugh," he groaned as he pulled away from her underside. "So demanding my queen." His sarcasm was usually one of the first things to show when he woke up, so Razor merely opened her wing up a bit quicker to the outside world. His soft complaining elicited a quiet rumble of laughter from her.

A short distance away Toothless also began stirring but unlike his mate, had no desire to rouse his companion to the waking world gently. Toothless unfurled his wings and shot up to his feet, causing Hiccup to hit the ground with enough impact to wake him up without great injury.

The human groaned at the treatment and quickly sat up, rubbing his head as his eyes slowly adjusted to the sudden light. "You useless reptile. You could have been a little gentler," he told his best friend. Toothless smirked and licked him across the face, Hiccup struggling to push the reptilian beast away. The dragon let up soon afterwards, but his relation was fully completed.

Hiccup rolled up onto his foot and peg leg, wiping off the Night Fury spit while Toothless quietly chuckled. The human pushed the last few remnants towards Toothless' face, chuckling when the dragon harshly shook his head.

Åsmund moved off of Razor's wing and stood up to stretch, rubbing his eyes and gazing at the other pair. Razor rose to her feet as well to relieve the quiet muscles, watching the Berkians with amusement. **"I wonder how they are always so energetic in the mornings, and why they always wake each other up like that."**

"I am not sure to either of your inquiries," Åsmund mumbled, suddenly smiling at his other half. "But I know one way to wake us up and get ready for the day."

" **A good run with me promising not to leave you too far behind me,"** she quickly answered with a good natured smirk.

As the man morphed his expression into mock annoyance, Razor made a quick leap and turned her head, gesturing him to go ahead and start. Without another word he jogged over and once they met up, continued moving forward until they had to round around the bend of the nearby pond.

Hiccup and Toothless looked over at the two, silently communicating their pleasure that the problems the other pair had built up over the past few days were finally being resolved. They turned toward their campsite and began setting up for a small fire. Once everything was set up, Toothless fired a very low blast while Hiccup pulled out the left over venison from last night. Making sure the fire was well contained and the meat wasn't in danger of being ruined, they gathered their stuff in preparation for their leave.

Åsmund and Razor managed to complete a few good laps around the pond before Åsmund found himself having to slow down. His measured movements did little to ease the heavy pants that escaped his mouth. Eventually, he had to stop completely and could sense Razor halt at the same time as him. When he looked up, he found her expression to be one of quiet pride and her body did not betray any signs of fatigue from her.

Smiling, he stated, "Maybe we should try walking some more while we are on our quest. If my memory is right, we used to consider this a simple warm-up." Razor returned his smile, teasing, **"It definitely couldn't hurt for you to move around more. You were feeling a bit heavy during some parts of our trip."** Åsmund lightly shook his head as they walked toward camp.

When they met up with the other two, Hiccup carefully turning the heating meat, Åsmund headed straight for one of his bags and brought out his sheepskin, bringing the opening up to his lips and taking short but satisfying gulps.

Once he had finished, he returned his sheepskin and accepted the deer meat Hiccup handed him. As Åsmund took a few bites, Hiccup told him, "I've packed up everything except your armor. We're ready to leave when you are."

Åsmund nodded at the quick update, hungrily eating the meat while Hiccup moved to get the saddles on their dragons. Finishing off the last piece, Åsmund began putting on his armor with Hiccup's help while the two now saddled lover dragons nuzzled each other.

" **I'll miss you for the short few hours that you'll be away from me Toothless,"** Razor humbly said to her mate. **"It will only be a few hours love, but I'll miss you as if it's been days,"** Toothless softly told her to reassure her that she will be missed by him as well.

While Hiccup rolled his eyes in obvious but friendly annoyance, Åsmund found himself mimicking the action. When the two humans realized this, they shared a conspirator smile and finished up their task with renewed haste.

They walked over to their dragons once they finished and did their best to appear overly annoyed by their dragons' actions. The reptiles responded in kind by playfully hitting their heads against the humans' back as they mounted.

"We'll stay together until we reach an island where you two can wait for Sigurd. Hopefully it won't be long," Hiccup stated.

"I hope it will be quick too," Åsmund replied. "Toothless' change is coming soon, and we still need to get everything prepared."

" **Then we better take off now instead of worrying about it,"** Razor said, the dragons simultaneously taking to the air and flying off toward their next destination.

Meeting Island

It was nearly mid-day when the group neared the territory boundary of the Night Fury Colony, catching sight of the island they had encountered Ívarr and the three other Night Furies. Since it was close to the territory boundary without seeming too invasive and where the two groups had created a slight truce, it would be the best place to meet any incoming patrol. If their luck held out, Sigurd would be leading it.

"Looks like this is where we split up for now. With any luck, either Sigurd or one of the patrol member will believe us when we say the Earth Fury is no longer a danger to the Colony," Åsmund stated.

" **As long as Ívarr at least hears the news, that will be enough,"** Razor suggested. **"Even if the Night Furies don't believe us, there are no longer in any danger from Ađalsteinn."**

"When you two have finished telling them, you are welcome to return directly to Berk," Hiccup told the pair. **"If there's anything else we need to prepare before you arrive, you know how to get a hold of me, Razor."** "Please keep any undying confessions of love from filling the conversation though. I do not want to hear those again." The other three chuckled good naturedly at the comment, a smile from Hiccup threatening to join them but being held back by his own willpower.

They said their goodbyes and while Hiccup and Toothless continued flying out, Razor and Åsmund broke off and heading down towards land.

As soon as they touched down, Åsmund slid off Razor and suggested, "While we wait, might as well give you some time to recharge since you insisted on being overprotective again last night."

The female dragon turned her head in annoyance at the comment, but did offer a small smile as he removed the saddle off her back. While she gave her back a long stretch, he dug around his bag and pulled out his pole and ax head so he could begin gathering lumber.

After about an hour later, Razor lazily laid in a decent size pyre, making only a small shift before stilling in contentment. Åsmund ignited several locations and once he was sure the flames were strong enough on their own and that Razor didn't need anything else, he moved a good distance away from the heat and looked towards the direction of the colony.

With nothing else to do, he carefully sat down and waited.

Flight Back to Berk

Hiccup and Toothless sped back as fast as Toothless could, less hurried from the time they heard Åsmund and Razor were in danger but still quick enough to make good timing. During a small moment of comfortable silence, Hiccup asked, "How are you feeling, Toothless?"

" **I haven't felt any change at all,"** the dragon began. **"Razor did say I have-"**

"I was wondering more about how you feel about being separated from Razor again," Hiccup gently interrupted. "I know I tease you two a lot, but that's only because I really care about both of your happiness."

Toothless cocked his head a bit at the question, taking a few moments to figure out his words. Minutes later, he stated, **"While I know she's not in serious danger or distress like last time, I still have a strong desire to turn back right now and keep it that way. I know we only just separated, but it feels like my heart is being tugged harshly toward her."**

"I understand what you are saying, bud." Hiccup didn't add anything else to his statement and during the quiet, Toothless came to a semi guilty realization.

While he had been so busy worrying about being with Razor and slightly berating his rider for not being ready in a second, he had forgotten that Hiccup hadn't seen Astrid these last few days. Even though his human didn't show it, Toothless could tell that he and Razor constantly stealing each other's company most likely had the man thinking about his own loved one back home.

Moments later, the dragon turned his eyes toward the human and said, **"Hiccup, do you think Astrid is going to be mad at you when she hears how much trouble you got yourself into?"**

Hiccup gave his friend a quick look of confusion but as he thought about the question, a smile spread across his face. "I'm not sure if she will be mad that I got into trouble, or mad that she couldn't join me during it. You know how annoyed she gets when I act like I am indestructible. Of course, I feel the same way when she goes off on her own so we will probably do what we usually do: Complain to each other for hours and then head out together to somewhere dangerous. She's pretty good at picking out those types of places."

Not for the first time, Toothless wondered where Hiccup's sense of recklessness came from but decided the inquiry was too complicated to try and figure out. However, he was glad to hear that Hiccup did not seem to hold any bitterness about being away from Berk for so long and found his reunion with Astrid to be worth any complaints she'll throw his way.

If his human could stand being away from his mate for more than a day, then Toothless could handle a few hours.

Berk

With over half the day of Hiccup's third day absence gone, Valka and Astrid continued carrying out the duties needed for Berk to function on a daily basis. Berk usually ran itself well enough if need be, but problems did pop up every now and then.

Most issues were easily dealt with, but there were a few times that an argument among some of the villagers nearly triggered Astrid's temper. The arguments always found themselves settled by the end of it, but she made sure that once she finally had time to herself again, that her always sharpened axe met the acquaintance of at least twenty different spots on a tree's trunk. Once the axe had met several new trees in a short period of time because each of the previous one could no longer provide adequate conversation. On the bright side, Valka always had a ready stash of firewood near the fireplace and stove.

Along with the day to day oversights, Astrid had put Gobber to work in trying to create the device based on the plans Åsmund had provided. They had several discussions on what metals that they needed to use, but could only plan at this point since they didn't have a Night Fury at the moment to make Fury Steel. The materials they could use at the moment ended up being a short list, with most of what they needed either not being readily available or would require trading with Trader Johann, whose last contact mentioned he was days away from Berk.

Astrid and patience settled a quick truce by the end of that most intense discussion after Gobber expressed his cheery concern that the trees wouldn't dare grow until Astrid could no longer lift her axe.

With a general time plan in mind, they worked on collecting and creating what they could. There was specific type of rock that would be best for creating the glass they needed, but even after spending almost a whole day at the collection site, the amount they brought back was much less than they wanted.

Gobber managed to create the basic outline of a small model they could use as a reference once they acquired all the materials they needed, but his attempts to match it exactly to Åsmund's plans or add on the more complicated parts ended up with the model in pieces. With each failure, the old black smith found his mood dampening.

On this third day after midday meal, everyone were going about their normal day when they heard the Night Fury whistle as it dove down towards them.

Turning around from inspecting a slightly damaged sword (the result of an overexcited Gronkle believing the weapon was meant as a treat from the now exasperated Viking companion), Astrid gazed towards the sky. When she didn't see anything first, she thought, _Are they coming_ _back already?_ _Neither of us knew_ _how long they_ _would_ _be gone_ _, but maybe they caught a lucky break_ _._ She quietly chuckled to herself as she tried picturing an interaction with Hiccup and new dragons going perfectly without any incidents.

Moments later, her eyes caught the outline of the pair as they rapidly approached the island. Although she couldn't make out any concrete details that would give away their outer appearance, she recognized their speed more as impatience in returning home rather than needing an injury needing to be taken care of.

She calculated their flight path and with a promise that she would settle the sword squabble with the Viking later, began a brisk pace down to towards the plaza. Her feet reached the outer circle just as her fiancée and Toothless touched down on the ground. By the time he had regained his balance on the group, Astrid had approached his blind side.

When Hiccup turned around to search for her among the small crowd, seeing her standing so close without him noticing elicited a small jump of surprise. Less than a second later, though, he fully recovered and offered her a wide smile. "Did you miss me, Astrid?"

Stretching out her own smile, Astrid reached over and gave his shoulder a small squeeze, and then quickly drew it back enough to deliver a couple of hard punches on his shoulder. Even though Hiccup's body had adopted enough muscles and endurance to no longer find the action painful, he still flashed her a mock hurt look as he laid his hand over the area. "That's for leaving us and not telling us when you'd be back."

"In my defense, Toothless didn't exactly give us enough time to get to that topic." A light tail slap against his right leg told Hiccup what his friend thought of that comment, but kept smiling anyway. "Besides, the village is still standing so I knew I left it in good hands."

His reward was a peck on the cheek she starting adopting with him whenever they were out in public. This one, however, lasted a least two seconds longer than normal. She pulled back and stated, "And that is for coming back without any added prosthetic limbs, plus the compliment."

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind next time, milady. I know you probably have a ton of questions to ask, but there are a few things we need to have ready for when Åsmund and Razor return. Can you stand waiting until then?"

Astrid gave him a brighter smile and answered, "I probably will, if you promise to preside over any arguments the villagers bring up these next three days. And just so you know, we have firewood covered all the way into the next two winters."

Understanding dawned on Hiccup's face and as he tried his best not to laugh too much at Astrid's expense, the couple and Toothless saw Cloudjumper and Valka lightly land beside them. "Welcome back, Hiccup," Valka greeted, smoothly sliding off her companion's side. Once her feet were settled, she embraced her son in a tight hug. As she pulled away, she inquired, "I take it all four of you managed to handle yourselves."

"Well, you know how things usually play out whenever Toothless and I are involved. I promise we will give you the full story later but for now, could you please set up a spare cot for Åsmund in our home? There are a few matters I should look into before I call it a day."

Valka quietly chuckled and told her son, "I will do so. Astrid, make sure he doesn't over work himself. It would be quite embarrassing if after all his adventure, he suddenly injury himself by accidentally bumping into a wall."

"Of course, Valka."

As Valka climbed onto Cloudjumper's back, Toothless told the other dragon, **"** **Once she is taken care of,** **set up** **a pyre** **outside the Academy.** **Razor will definitely need a recharge when she and Åsmund arrive later** **."**

" **I will do so as soon as I can,"** Cloudjumper responded, making sure Valka was sitting safely on his back before taking flight to the Haddock Hall.

Seconds after the pair had left, Hiccup looked to Astrid and asked, "Where should we head to first?"

At that moment, the human and dragon's stomachs let out quiet grumbles, causing Astrid to laugh as they bowed their heads. "First, you two need to eat."

Hiccup and Astrid chatted as the trio headed to the Great Hall, Toothless looking back over the ocean now and then as he eagerly anticipated Razor and Åsmund's return.


	20. Returning to Berk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Razor and Asmund continue to wait for a way to let the Colony Alpha know what has occurred while Hiccup plays catch up with being a chief on Berk since he's been gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own the "How to Train Your Dragon" Movies, Animated Series or Book series. Those characters belong to DreamWorks Animation and Cressida Cowell. My original characters are mine and if you wish to use him please ask me first.

_Words typed like this are thoughts in their head_   
Words like this are scenes/locations where it is occurring   
**Words typed like this is Dragonese**

* * *

Returning to Berk

Meeting Island

As they finished up the last leg of their patrol and prepared to turn back, Sigurd picked up traces of four familiar scents on the slight breeze. His mind discarded two of them when he perceived that they were highly faint, indicating that pair had just been flying through. The other two, however, were still strong and were accompanied by an even fainter trace of smoke.

His two companions picked up the scents moments after he did, and looked at each other before turning and asking Sigurd, **"Sir, one of the scents is human, and the other smells like a Night Fury, but is highly distinct."**

" **Is it the same group that you met and brought to the Colony?"** the other dragon asked.

Sigurd focused his sense of smell and once he matched it with his memory, told the pair, **"Yes, it is. If you two do not mind, I would rather I meet with them on my own. Fly back to the Colony and tell Ívarr the Fire Fury, Razor, and the human, Åsmund, have news to share with us. As soon as we are finished, I will see them off and head straight back to the Colony."**

" **Are you sure it's wise to confront them on your own?"**

" **In most cases I would say 'no,' however, if something does happen to me, at least you two can identify the possible culprits. Dismissed."** Without another word, the two Night Furies separated from Sigurd and flew back to the Colony.

Now on his own, he altered his course a bit and headed toward the island he recognized from their first meeting. It was only days ago, but it sometimes felt longer. Seeing Ívarr and Hjálmarr easily dispatched by a mere human, seeing an Elemental Fury for the first time, learning that the human and Fury got along very well, finding out there was another human/dragon pair within flight distance.

Then there was the strange trust Ívarr displayed by letting the humans return to the Colony, and his own concern whenever those same humans were in danger or distress. A strange feeling indeed seeing two potentially dangerous threats and worrying about them like they were hatchlings. Hatchlings like those he and Njörðr will be responsible for soon enough. _Njörðr a mother, and me a father…_

His thoughts halted when he noticed the two figures occupying a spot on the island they first met at, adjusting himself for a descent. As he landed, he saw Åsmund quickly lift himself up from the ground while Razor just watched him from her place in the fire. He considered asking them what that was about, but figured the title of "Fire Fury" was adequate enough explanation.

Instead, he started, **"I see you two survived your encounter with the Earth Fury, as did the other two since their faint scents did not give off any mentions of burns or blood. While I admit I actually believed you four could go up against the raging beast, I did not expect any of you to come back unscratched or return so quickly."**

Åsmund glanced at Razor, who merely shrugged at the other dragon's comment and gestured for her rider to provide the details. Taking a deep breath, Åsmund began. "I can't say I'm not surprised about our speedy victory as well. Our plan involved quite a bit of luck and timely retreats, but save for a few scratches and some adrenaline crashes at the end-" The human purposefully ignored the knowing glare Razor directed at him from behind his back. "The Earth Fury, Ađalsteinn, has been Soothed without too much trouble."

" **Ađalsteinn…"** Sigurd mumbled to himself, his expression not giving away his thoughts about it as he tucked the information away in his mind.

"Yeah, he was really grateful to reclaim his senses again," Åsmund offered. "And provided us with some vital information about the Air Fury Soother and explained that Toothless has two Soothers because he is the Lightning Fury. Fortunately, we already knew his other half, Hiccup, was one and his second Soother is his mate, Razor."

Sigurd nodded as the other man finished and asked, " **Toothless had not yet become the Lightning Fury the last time we meet. How close is he to changing?"**

Razor stirred from the smoldering pyre and lifted herself out. Giving a quick shake to knock some cooled soot off her body, she made her way towards Åsmund and Sigurd. **"** **His transformation is expected to take place in the next few days. He and Hiccup have returned to Berk to prepare, and we will join them as soon as we've finished our conversation here."**

" **Unless you two have anything worth mentioning besides the Earth Fury being taken care of and Toothless close to transforming, I think we are about done here."** Despite his dismissive tone, Razor could pick up on a faint sight of impatience as Sigurd's pupils quietly shifted in the direction of the Colony. The movement was too quick for Åsmund to catch and it was highly likely Sigurd didn't know he was doing it. However, the female dragon could sense that while Sigurd would carry out his duty to its full extent, he appeared that he would rather be somewhere else.

Before Åsmund could answer for them, Razor asked, **"We understand you wish to return to your duties for the colony, and we won't keep you for much longer. If I may ask though,** **how is Njörðr** **doing** **?"**

Sigurd's eyes scrunched up in slight suspicion and he regarded her question for several moments. Finally though, he answered, **"** **She is doing well. Yesterday, she excused herself to ready for laying in the next few days. I will pass on to her that you asked, and I'm sure she will appreciate your concern for her health."**

"Please tell Ívarr that we appreciated his cooperation and trust. Without his support, I am not sure what we would have done with the Earth Fury," Åsmund offered. "If he is willing, I would not mind returning and answering any questions or concerns he has."

" **If he is willing,"** Sigurd repeated, his face softening a fraction. Without another word, he expanded out his wings and took off.

Åsmund and Razor watched as his outline faded out of sight, turning to each other as they let out quiet sighs of relief. "Well, I'm glad that went smoothly."

" **As am I,"** Razor answered, stretching out her wings and limbs as she felt the charging heat continue its travel through her overworked muscles. The energy she had adsorbed was only enough to replenish her more important areas and sooth the rest, but it was definitely a huge contrast from her earlier physical exhaustion.

She tried to do her best though to not let her relief display so greatly on her features. It would only dim Åsmund's spirit if he found out she put his mental wellbeing over her own health. _Norms know he doesn't need any more of that self-guilt while we are so close to our quest's conclusion._

" **It's unfortunate he does not fully trust us yet, but after hearing about what you felt when in the Colony and facing off against Ađalsteinn, it's understandable. After all, your village did not exactly speak high praises of me when I was like that."**

At the mention of that, Åsmund's eyes widened as he stared at his companion in surprise. While he could see the usual trace of sadness and guilt in her eyes, those emotions were much more muted and were almost overtaken by reflections of contentment and ease.

Thinking his words over for several seconds, Åsmund stated, "No, we really didn't. In fact, I remember most horror stories always had your 'Berserk'-self involved in some way or another. None of them were really that good or scary to be honest, and they were not even that original. In fact, I think replacing your name with sock stealing trolls would have been more appropriate, which I actually did once with very great results."

Despite his thoughts reminding her of that horrible time in her life, Razor couldn't help but laugh at his last statement. **"You found trolls more terrifying than me?"**

Smiling, Åsmund answered, "No, sock stealing trolls. The possibility of having my feet cut off due to frostbite was a much more terrifying thought than a quick death by fire."

Razor's laughter became much more jovial at his line of reasoning, and Åsmund found himself quickly joining her. As their laughter passed after several minutes, Razor added, **"It is a good thing I am not a sock stealing troll then. Otherwise, we would have never had such a rich friendship with each other."**

Åsmund's face softened at her comment, reaching his hand out and gently ghosting it down her snout. "I might have made an exception, although…" His smile quickly morphed into a sly smirk as he said, "I'm not sure Toothless would feel if his past-life love ended up coming back as a troll. How would that even work anyway?"

Razor snapped her head back and rolled her eyes in annoyance, tossing him a glare as he began laughing. With a huff, she smacked her tail against his legs and flashed a smirk when his laughter morphed into a small groan. Sparing only enough focus to make sure he wasn't too injured, Razor drifted over to the dying pyre and started extinguishing the remains.

Her human mumbled some of the lighter phases he knew under his breath, which Razor decided to ignore as she continued about her task. Once she finished, she turned back to Åsmund and lightly shook her head as he tried to appear angry at her. However, the corners of his mouth kept twitching up until he could no longer hold back his smile. "I guess I deserved that. As an apology, let's get the saddle on and head straight to Berk, where I am sure Toothless is just as eager to reunite with you."

Minutes later, the saddle was securely strapped on Razor's back and Åsmund cast a quick inspection of the pyre to make sure everything was fully distinguished. When he was sure everything would be fine, he climbed onto the saddle, saying, "No elemental powers to speed up your flight. I know you are in a rush, but you are not fully charged. You should be just fine tomorrow after you rest in a pyre tonight."

Nodding in agreement, Razor made sure Åsmund was securely seated and then bolted into the sky towards Berk.

As the two figures faded out in the distance, Sigurd spared another few seconds to watch them from one of the main territory islands. Once he was sure they would not be returning, he flew back into the air and headed towards his home and mate.

When the Colony's territory islands vanished completely from their sight, Åsmund allowed his thoughts to turn toward ideas about how to speed up the construction of the lightning machine for Toothless. He had no doubt that Gobber's skills as a blacksmith were more than up to the task at hand, but Razor and Toothless' absence meant they couldn't construct the Fury Steel that was necessary for parts of the machine. With any luck, however, the combined efforts of the two Furies might afford them enough time to create all the materials they needed. If they couldn't create the machine in time… Åsmund preferred not to think of the consequences.

Razor's thoughts began drifting as well, becoming contemplative as she slowly allowed herself to relax. _I can't believe how far Åsmund and I have come after a month in this region of the archipelago._ _And who would have imagined that I would_ _find a_ _friend_ _from my past life? Not to mention accepting him as my_ _mate_ _despite our_ _eighteen year_ _separation._

Upon remembering the reason for their split, she did her best to keep her anger down as she thought about the gods' and hazards meddling her life. _I've fought off two mental corruptions_ _from an almost ageless and powerful being_ _,_ _held my own against_ _an Elemental Fury that_ _was not_ _calmed, and even fought against three other Night Furies_ _with_ _no one_ _getting_ _seriously injured. The gods have put us through_ _some_ _major trials, and I hope_ _they were correct to place the fate of the realms in our paws and hands. If not, then it's highly likely the_ _dream Åsmund had_ _could_ _come true._ _If I were_ _to lose my other half or mate_ _after making it this far…_

She shook the thought out of her head, staring straight towards the direction of Berk thinking. _No. I refuse to let that dream come true. I will fight to my last breath if it means saving Åsmund or Toothless, Ragnarök be damned!_

Great Hall

"… and that's when we figured out that it wasn't Mulch that kept forgetting to lock the gate, but that some Terrible Terrors were opening so they could sleep in the sheep's wool. Why the little reptiles didn't just fly through the opening near the roof, I'll never know," Astrid related dryly as she concluded her report on the week old mystery they had finally solved.

"Were they from the flock that is always flying near the edge of the meadow?" Hiccup asked, taking another bite out of his fish.

"Yes, which explains how they knew how they undid the lock. They spend so much time around there that they must have picked up on how to open it without having to resort to melting it off the door. I'm still not sure exactly why they suddenly decided to make the sheep their own personal beds, but at least the sheep don't seem to mind. After they locked up the barn, Bucket and Mulch managed to train the Terrors to enter through the top window. Since then, no incidents reported on that end."

Hiccup finished off the rest of his late lunch as Astrid finished up on reporting the major dealings that had happened while he had been gone. He was somewhat worried that his abrupt leave would have caused at least one major crisis, but was relieved that Astrid and his mom managed to hold everything together and that most of the villagers could take care of themselves.

Beside the table, Toothless polished off the rest of his own meal and turned his head when he heard Valka enter the Great Hall. The woman caught sight of the trio and quickly approached them, catching the humans' attention once she was close.

"Hi, mom," Hiccup greeted, motioning to stand up and greet her.

However, Valka quickly pushed her son down by his shoulders. She wrapped her arms around to his front and gave him a strong hug, saying, "Hello again, Hiccup. I take it Astrid has brought you up to speed on everything."

She drew back and took a seat across from him as he answered, "Yes, and thank you both for taking care of everything. I was very glad to see the buildings still standing in one piece."

"Maybe next time, you should stay behind and I'll fly out to face unknown dragons," Astrid stated, offering a few slices of bread to Hiccup.

Smiling softly, he took one and replied, "There's no one I trust more to watch this village or take care of themselves when confronted with danger than you, Astrid. I guess it will be your turn next time one of us has to head out and help our friend fend off a few unknown dragons."

"Speaking of unknown dragons," Valka began. "How did you and Toothless' encounter with those Night Furies turn out?"

The pair of friends looked at each other for several seconds, trying to decide how much information they were willing to share about the Night Fury Colony without taking it too far. Ívarr may have been alright with letting Hiccup and Åsmund enter the colony, but there was an unspoken truce that they wouldn't reveal everything about them.

Deciding to keep everything generalized, Hiccup gave the table a quick account of the events that occurred after they left. There was mention of their encounter with the Colony patrol, their first meeting with Ívarr, and a simple overview of the humans being allowed access into the Colony along with their encounter with the lone Night Fury colonist.

As he expected, his mother was fascinated by the few descriptions of the inside of the Colony and Astrid found their recollections of the fights highly engaging. Their interest in their adventures increased when Hiccup began mentioning their altercation with the Earth Fury and speaking with Ađalsteinn about the other Furies and Toothless' situation.

When he concluded, Hiccup turned to Gobber and asked, "How So Gobber, how much progress did you manage to accomplish with the device?"

"Ya knw laddie, I trid as best I culd but, I tink you'd be betta den me at makin' dis stuff," Gobber stated, taking a drink of his mead.

"We collected and created all the materials we could, but we couldn't replicate the Fury Steel without Toothless or Razor's help," Astrid started, her slight frustration melting slightly as she added. "But Trader Johan sent word that the winds are favorable, so he expects he will be here the day after tomorrow. And with both Furies here, it shouldn't take too long to get the device up and working."

Having finished the remainder of his meal, Hiccup set the dishes and utensils aside and stated, "Well, we still have some daylight left and if Fury Steel is what we desperately need, then it is best that we get started on it. Is that alright with you Toothless?"

When the dragon nodded his agreement, the humans rose out of their seats. Astrid and Valka volunteered to cover the rest of the duties for the day, receiving a large 'thank you' from Hiccup as he, Toothless, and Gobber headed down to the forge.

When they arrived, the human pair immediately took their places around the forge while Toothless kept a slight distance away. He wouldn't be needed just yet, and experience had taught him that getting in the way of Gobber and Hiccup tended to ruin the pair's well practiced movements.

Soon, the fires were lit and Gobber began bringing out the Gronkle Iron he had created over the past few days for their purpose. "Fury Steel might be beyond my talents, but Gronkle Iron is as easy as pulling dragons' teeth."

"Um, Gobber, didn't your first tooth extraction involve wrestling an angry Hookfang to the ground?" Hiccup joked, carefully setting the material over the flames.

"Like I said, Hiccup, easy," the old smith stated, his smile showing off his stone tooth. "Now how do you want to go bout dis, lad?"

Looking over the design closely, Hiccup frowned as he began to realize just how many stylized parts they would need for the device. While most of them could be created with a lot of careful and precise forging, some of the pieces would need a much more solid mold to create their intended shape.

Though a bit discouraged, Hiccup turned to Gobber and plainly stated, "Let's start by making the outer hull of the device. If we end up altering the scale from the design specifications, we can adjust the later pieces accordingly."

For the next several hours, the three worked in comfortable silence as they heated up the Gronkle Iron and poured the molten material into the general sheets they kept around the forge. The first few trials did not produce the results they were looking for. Their timings for the charcoal strikes were constantly off and although the metal still had some use, they knew they wouldn't be able to use it for the device.

To their relief, they finally struck the balance with their timing, and flashed each other wide smiles as they studied the Fury Steel sheet in front of them. "Still easier than pulling dragons' teeth, Gobber?" Hiccup joked, double checking that the table the sheet was placed on was leveled.

"Didn't say wheder tefh pullin' or Fury Steel were easier, ladie," the old smith replied with a large grin. "Dough I'll admit dis project is easier dan one of my hand extension ones."

"Which hand are you referring to?"

"Why, my harmonica hand of course!" While Gobber laughed as he recalled the long construction of said hand and commented on the finished product's tuning, Hiccup could not help but shudder a bit at the reminder of the initial screeching his mentor had produced during his playing. Gobber did get better as time went on, but it was definitely an excruciating experience for that first year.

By the time they decided to call it for the day, they had manage to create the entire hull of the device, laid out around the shop as identical sheets. They greatly considering moving on to producing some of the inner parts, but ultimately decided the specialized nature of the parts would require the eye of its designer.

They exited the forge close to three hours after the sun had disappeared over the horizon, their vision aided by the light given off by the torches spread across the village. It was during their quick patrol around the outside of the square that they heard a loud roar emerge from the dark sea.

Instantly recognizing the sound, Hiccup smiled to his friend, asking, "Should I expect to see you at all tomorrow for your duties?"

Toothless gave his human a gentle shove, answering, **"Like you, I have been gone for several days. I trust that Cloudjumper and the others managed to hold everything down, but I should look over some areas myself."** Nodding in agreement, Hiccup gestured for them to head towards that plaza.

Just as they entered the area, Razor and Åsmund landed in the middle, catching the attention of only a few villagers. After all, rare and powerful dragons were quite common place in their sector of the Archipelago.

The pair looked around and when they caught sight of the Berk leaders, smiled widely. "Sorry we are a bit late," Åsmund started, sliding off Razor's back. "It took a bit longer than we thought to catch Sigurd's attention."

" **Though he made up for it by keeping the conversation short,"** Razor cut in, keeping her tone light.

Toothless quickly placed himself on Razor's side, lightly nuzzling his head against her neck as a greeting. The female dragon returned the gesture as the humans conversed with each other.

"So far, Gobber and Astrid managed to get their hands on some of the simpler materials, Gobber and I spent the last few hours constructing the hull, and whatever else we need should be in by the day after tomorrow."

Åsmund's face tightened a bit at the mention of more time being taken up, but he let out a quiet sigh before he let the news get to him. Any sort of progress they gained at this point was highly desirable. "That's good to hear. Hopefully we can finish most everything tomorrow and be ready when the rest of the supplies come in."

The dragons broke apart as the conversation finished, Razor giving Åsmund her usual gentle stare. **"It's been a long few days, Åsmund. We should all get some rest."**

As if on cue, the two humans let out muffled yawns, causing Gobber to chuckle. "Looks like you two need some rest. Get a good night's sleep and I'll have da forge ready in the mornin'." After a few good nights, the smith headed to his own home.

"Åsmund, my mother set up a cot for you to sleep in and Toothless had the dragons prepare a pyre for Razor at the academy," Hiccup told them. The other human nodded at the information while Razor flashed Toothless a small smile of thanks.

Without another word, Åsmund turned toward Razor and began removing the saddle off of her back. Hiccup lifted up their supply bags and within minutes, the dragon was bared of the equipment. They made quick plans to meet up with each other at the forge to continue making the Fury Steel and once that was resolved, Toothless and Razor made their way over to the Academy.

As they moved off, Hiccup motioned for Åsmund to follow him and the two made their way up to the Haddock Household. They engaged in a bit of small talk as they walked, and Hiccup found himself focusing on Åsmund's features in case any of the unexplained anger that appeared when Razor focused on Toothless made itself known.

Much to his relief, they made it up without that look ever appearing.

Haddock Household

Åsmund set the saddle down outside the front door and followed his companion into the house. The interior of the room had not altered at all since his last visit, save for a much larger pile of wood next to the fireplace and stove. He immediately noticed Valka in the kitchen area putting food on a plate. Without looking over, she greeted, "Nice to see you again, Åsmund."

"You as well," the man answered. "Do you need any help reheating dinner?"

Valka turned around and brought the plate over to the table, replying, "No, I just brought out enough for you to replenish some of your energy. Oh, and Hiccup." The person in question, who had been scanning around the room, snapped his head toward his mother. "Astrid told me she needed to assist her family with something, so she won't be returning here tonight."

Hiccup's shoulders slumped slightly at that news, but he still kept his expression cheerful as he told her, "Alright, then I'll just go ahead and head off to bed. Working at the forge today almost exhausted all of my energy." He bade his mother and Åsmund a quick goodnight, and then bounded up the stairs into his room.

As his footsteps faded from hearing, Valka motioned for Åsmund to take a seat at the table. "Please sit down. I normally stay up during this hour and wouldn't mind a bit of company."

Knowing that arguing with the woman would just be a waste of time, Åsmund carefully sat down and accepted the plate Valka slid over to him. He was looking over his offered meal for a moment when he noticed her place a mug close to his healing hand. Shyly, Åsmund stated, "I am very grateful for your hospitality, Mrs. Haddock."

"Oh please, just call me Valka. There's no need for formalities," she retorted as she sat down across from him.

With a smile, Åsmund took a small bite, intent on savoring his meal. However, the day's exhaustion immediately caught up and he found himself taking several large bites in rapid session. He heard Valka chuckle softly as he was forced to stop when he realized his mouth was too full from his previous portions.

He turned his head down in embarrassment while he chewed the food and noticed his plate being refilled from the corner of his eyes. A moment later, a cup of water was set down by his place and he reached out and carefully drank the liquid. Once he was sure his mouth was empty, he set the cup down and sheepishly grinned at his hostess.

"Sorry about that. I guess I was hungrier than I thought."

"It's alright, Åsmund. You've been through a lot these past few days and I'm sure you enjoy not having to forage, hunt, or cook your supper tonight. Just eat a bit slower and you'll be just fine," Valka stated, her gentle smile never wavering as her eyes sparkled with compassionate humor.

With a silent jolt, an image of another female with a similar eye expression and more youthful appearance popped into his mind. He found himself seated at his home, accepting a plate offered by a maternal figure wearing a teasing smile, saying, _"Since you've been so busy these past few days, I believe you need some sheep stew tonight. You'll have to eat a bit slowly since it's still fresh and hot, but you'll feel just fine by the time you finish."_

After a few blinks, the image vanished and he found himself studying Valka's features a bit more. A gentle face with tired eyes that still managed to appear energetic. Slight lines in areas that normally scrunch up when one is worried. A body sitting poised with slight authority, but relaxed enough to instill comfort. A mouth always ready to break out in a gentle smile or sharpen to a frown.

Quietly, Åsmund brought another morsel of food into his mouth, this time consciously chewing slowly as he composed his thoughts. When he was sure there wasn't food in his mouth, he stared at Valka and softly confessed, "You know, the closest female I have ever had to a mother was my sister. As far as I can remember, she looked after me, dissuaded me from making poor choices, and always had a knack for knowing what to say to comfort me."

Valka regarded the information for a few moments, tilting her head slightly to the left while Åsmund looked down and resumed eating. They sat in peaceful silence for a minute before the older woman offered, "It sounds like your sister learned how to be more motherly than I, at least when it comes to human children."

Confused, Åsmund commented, "I know Hiccup mentioned you two have been apart for close to 20 years, but you seem to have formed very strong bonds with each other."

"Yes, I know." Valka stared down at her hands. "And I am glad that Hiccup has given me a chance to be a part of his life, but I cannot help feeling that my decision not to return here to Berk all those years ago was a very poor choice."

"There's nothing you should feel poor about, Valka. You are here now, and he has a chance to get to know you, which is way more than I could ever hope to have. My mother…" Åsmund found his mouth suddenly drying up, his normally ready speech halted as he thought back to his familiar ache.

Taking a sip of water and making sure his tongue wouldn't stick, he told Valka, "My mother died giving birth to me. From what my brother and sister say, the pregnancy started off just fine but a month later, she suddenly felt something different with me. Things gradually worsened, despite my family and the village healer's attempts and prayers, until the day came for my birth. When she went into labor, it seemed like any complication that could happen, happened. The village healer didn't know what to do besides keep her stable. By the time I finally came into the world, there was nothing anyone could do and she passed on seconds afterwards. I never knew her, never heard her voice, didn't even get a chance to feel her touch. The only reason I know what she looks like is because of the paintings my family has of her."

Åsmund looked down at the few scraps on his plate, closing his eyes as he brought up the image of the woman who lost her life for his. He recalled vividly in his youth that he held a touch of guilt for playing a part in her death, but felt the most sorrow at the fact that he could never feel any maternal love for her like he did for his sister. The stories and tales his father, siblings, and villagers recalled about her always felt like they were referring to a stranger who just happened to have some connection with him.

As he got older, he found himself feeling what could be respect and camaraderie for the woman, but love always seemed too large of a leap for him to take. Maybe with more time and experience he could see himself loving the woman she was, but loving her as a mother would most likely never be an option.

Realizing they had been quiet for several minutes, Åsmund concluded with, "As I already said, my sister is the closest thing I ever had to a mother. We haven't seen each other for four years now, with me heading off to train with the Sea King and Queen and her leaving so she could develop more medical knowledge. I miss her terribly, so I bet you Hiccup is glad to have the chance to see you every day."

Valka turned her eyes down as he finished, processing everything Åsmund had said while the man picked off the last morsels of his meal. Finally, she started, "I have no doubt that my son is grateful for the chance to know me. Stoick would tell him about me whenever he asked as a child, but Hiccup admits that after some time, he stopped asking about me. There were a few of my possessions here at home that he could hold onto, but none of them were ever personal. The only item that could come close is a stuffed dragon I made for him days after he was born, though it apparently wasn't in his young possession for very long. My poor boy, absolutely terrified of dragons so much that as soon as he was able, threw the stuffed dragon off a cliff. He reclaimed it about 5 years ago with great help from Toothless and the others, but its original purpose was no longer needed."

"At least it is something personal," Åsmund offered. "Something that he can look at and know that he had a mother who loved him and wanted to be a part of his life."

"Yes, I did love him, along with my husband, very much. It is my deepest regret, leaving them like that and never finding the courage to reach out to them. Upon reuniting, we all imagined returning here to Berk together and ready to become a family again, but lost our chance with Stoick's passing. I look at Hiccup and though I can see a few of my features and traits in him, he is definitely his father's son. Seeing Hiccup as a young man instead of the baby I left, remembering Stoick approach me like I was a ghost, it's almost like I cheated them out of the closure they had come to." Valka tightened, then loosened, her grip on the mug in front of her before looking up at Åsmund and stated, "Although I am sorry for what happened to your mother and the impact it had on your family, it settles my heart that you at least have closure with her passing."

Åsmund, fully finished with his food, quietly stood up from his seat and walked over to stand beside Valka, laying a comforting touch on her shoulder. "I am also sorry that you three had to go through something like that. If my mother suddenly walked through that door-" He looked toward the front of the house, his face forming a tight smile "after all these years of believing her incapable of doing so, I'm sure any resolve I've built up towards her memory would mean nothing. If I was given that chance to know her myself, however, I would jump on it."

He slid his hand off her shoulder and lowered himself so they were looking at each other at the same level. "I'm sure Hiccup felt the same way when he saw you, and doesn't hold your past against you. You had your reason for staying with the Sea King, and I bet he understands that. It may take some time and you may not agree fully with me, but I think you should start forgiving yourself for not being for him until now. Everyone has done something in their past that they regret, but there are also moments that they didn't mind chancing. All those experiences, feelings, and actions define the people we are today. There's nothing we can change about them, so it's better to learn from them and grow from there. It may take time to adjust, but that's as much a part of the process as anything else."

For the first time sense their conversation veered in this direction, Valka let out a true smile. She took a small breath and said to Åsmund, "You are above your years, Åsmund. I will endeavor to move on from my past, as I am sure you will do the same." At his momentarily widened features, she added, "Don't think I haven't noticed the gleam of regret in those old eyes of yours. They are much less burdened than when you left, but I am sure the weight you carry will not completely leave you anytime soon. If you ever need me, I will always be ready to help."

While the man offered a sheepish smile at her promise, there was genuine thanks in his eyes as he straightened up. "Thank you as well, Valka. We both definitely have a lot to think about. However, I'll have to hold on those until after I get some rest. Flying for several days and meeting up with several aggravated dragons has a way of draining my energy."

Valka chuckled at his statement and rose up from her seat, saying, "Well, I won't keep you up any longer. I'm going to go check up on Cloudjumper and retire also. I'll see you in the morning."

"See you tomorrow," he called back, walking over to the set up cot and working on removing his armor while Valka strolled outside. Alone in the room, Åsmund carefully laid everything out so no one would accidentally bump into it and stretched across the cot.

As his body relaxed into the gentler sleeping arrangement, he noticed a neatly folded fur blanket by his head and reached over to spread it across his body. Once he was settled in, he let out a content sigh before closing his eyes. Moments later, he fell sound asleep.


End file.
